I Guess It Runs In The Family?
by Rat300
Summary: First time Fanfic so bear with me. What do we really know about the leverage teams past, their families? What happens when Eliot's little sister decides to show up? t turns out that a life of crime and excitment isn't limited to the older siblings.
1. Chapter 1

Sis is a pickpocket?

_Leverage__- power or ability to act or influence people, events, descisions, etc._

This was the dictionary's definition of leverage, and in my eyes not an unsuitable term for the somewhat shady organization currently employing Eliot Spencer. Eliot Spencer, (Or so he was called now and it was as good a name as any), a retrieval specialist, a deadly force, not a man to be messed with. My big brother. I hadn't seen him or heard anything once he started working overseas. He used to come back, but then he up and left, leaving me to work at his 'girlfriends' ranch.

I'm not the type who would get angry because fate is cruel and he always has to work so much, but I'm not the type to sit around and wait for things to get better either. After about a month or so after he left I ran away. I could take care of myself, and I have been for years now. A top notch fighter and deft thief I rose up quickly in rank around the shadier neighborhoods. I'm the youngest hired mercenary to grace the Irish, Italian, and Romanian mafias, to name a few. It isn't the prettiest life style, but it suits me well enough.

I had moved on to New York, I never stayed still for to long, when I first caught scent of what could only be Eliot's doing. After lots of research and 'interrogations' if you will, I was finally led to an organization known as Leverage. It was said to have been around for ages, a family company, but something felt off. Now it was time for recon, things were about to get interesting.

"Nate, why do I have to baby-sit Hardison and Parker again?" Eliot's complaining laced with venom as his voice carried over the coms. "Baby-sit? You know I can hear you right man, and I do not appreciate being spoken about like that, just cause you can hold a car above your head or somethin' don't make you better than me." Hardison's ramblings were studiously ignored as Eliot waited for Nate's reasoning behind the torture he was being forced to endure. "Well, Eliot, Hardison needed to get some new parts for his improvements on our com system and because he can't buy what he needs all that legally, I figured you were the best man to go with him."

Eliot turned to look away from the still muttering geek. "Fine, I get Hardison, but why did Parker need to come?" The hitter's shoulders were squared as he surveyed his surroundings. The area of town Hardison needed to go to for his parts was far from welcoming, the whole place seemed grim and practically screamed,

'BAD NEIGHBORHOOD. LEAVE IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE.'

Eliot had been to enough places like this before to know that you don't bring a complete geek like Hardison in his multi colored glory and Parker who was definitely not all right in the head with only one hitter to keep them in check.

"Ahh, well, actually, Parker was supposed to have gone with you. She just kind of tagged along cause she was bored." As soon as the words had left Nate's mouth Parker had run of ahead of them to play on some long forgotten hopscotch drawing. "You have got to be kidding me! You didn't make her come back why?" Eliot's eyes were narrowed dangerously at the back of the perky blonde who was making his job much harder than it had to be.

"Well, no. I didn't see any real reason to call her back. Besides you can handle it, we've dealt with these people before. They're just a bunch of thieves who have their hands on some nice equipment. They aren't the type for organized fighting, not a problem." Nate answered nonchalantly, only a hint of doubt letting Eliot know he wasn't nearly as sure of himself as he let on. "You better be right, or I am going to be one unhappy camper when I get back."

Back at HQ, Eliot couldn't see Nathan pause momentarily in his work, the mental images of what Eliot was capable of causing him to cringe. "Don't worry about, we have you guys under surveillance and nothing's shown up odd yet. Hardison, move your bag a little to the left, it's blocking your button cam." Hardison silently (for once) moved the duffel bag he had been carrying so that it was slung over his shoulder and out of the line of sight of the button cam.

Parker stopped at the end of the hopscotch board and tilted her head to the side. "Eliot, you have a twin!" The two men who had finally caught up with her stopped, startled by the random exclamation. "What are you talking about Parker? I don't have a twin." He spoke angrily, exhausted after having spent a whole hour walking with her and Hardison's random outburst and arguments.

"Yes you do, the girl over there looked just like you, right down to the hat and angry face." The entire team was silent, waiting for Eliot's response. "Shut up Parker."

Eliot plowed a head of the other two members of his trio, not bothering to attempt to correct Parker or coment on the pure lunacy she must have been spouting.

"Well, that was odd." A smooth European voice announced over the coms. Parker and Hardison watched as Eliot removed his earpiece and pocketed it so as to not to have to listen to Sophie's comments on his behavior.

"Yeah, very odd indeed." Nate leaned back in his chair, and fist held to his chin thought fully.

After a quick walk around the Leverage headquaters I had decided to retire for the day. Heading back to my current place of employment, down several alleys and through lots of less than pleasant streets I heard a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. Ducking into a doorway I waited for the owner of it to pass so I could see who it was. Around the corner came a group of three, a tall black man wearing a scarf and carrying a duffel bag, a blonde who was running around like some little kid, and a medium height strong looking fellow in a toboggan. Eliot, my eyes widened and I sunk further back into the doorway.

Aww crap! I can't let him find me until I know me showing up won't interfere with his work. I need to get back to the base before he spots me. Trying to time it so I ran when he wasn't looking I darted silently out of my hidey-hole. The blonde saw me, but she did try to chase after me either. That was close.

It wasn't long before I had made it back to the base. It wasn't really a base, it could barely be considered a building, with three and a half walls and a surprisingly sturdy roof it was more of a shack than an actual sturdy construct. But it was where the business took place and I wasn't here to complain about architecture. The 'shack' was home to a decent (and I use that term loosely) thief ring. They specialized in electronics and other kinds off hardware. Currently I was a guard of sorts and a pickpocket, getting cellphones and mp3 players from pedestrians.

Slipping in relatively undetected I took my place sitting behind the boss-man. He turned his head to the side so as to look at me, I stared back, my eyes apathetic with no respect for his rank. "You brought your share for today I assume?" He sounded doubtful, but reserved. He knew better than to challenge me. Even if among his group of street rats he was king, among the rest of the underworld they were nothing but lowlifes, myself a member of the true kings' courts'. "If I didn't?" My tone wasn't harsh, simply questioning. The smirk on my face however showed my true colors. I watched his adams -apple tremble as he swallowed. "Then there would be no problem of course." He was trying to keep his cool, but his eyes were a little too wide and he was sweating a little too much. "You're in luck, I did." Emptying my messenger bag ipods, cellphones, and a few digital GPS fell into a neat pile on the floor. Boss-man couldn't help but grin, and neither could I. I loved to scare these guys, there is nothing better than having a 35 year old look down at you in complete fear for his life, especially when you yourself are only 16.

"You are one cruel chica, but you're the best we've had in ages. We'll be sad when you decide to leave." His statement was genuine, and that surprised me. My smirk got a little bit wider and ever so slightly softer. "I know."

He chuckled and I settled back for a nap, resting my back against the wall. I only got a few minutes of restful shut eye before a commotion was heard outside. With a skill that could only be achieved after years of practice and devotion I detached the blade I had hidden under my shirt attached to my back and retrieved the smaller one I kept hidden in my boots. In less than a minute I was fully armed and standing protectively in front of the boss-man as I like to call my current employer. The room was quite, the thieves who had earlier been gambling and conversing jovially now dead silent. I pulled my hat lower over my eyes and the high collar of my jacket higher. All that could be seen of my face was the hazel color of my eyes and the bridge of my nose.

The guards outside led in three tall figures, most likely the cause of the commotion. I held my knives the way I had been taught, fairly loose at my sides until I deemed it necessary to use them. The blades themselves were tucked away in my long sleeves, which had been specifically modified to be much longer than my own arms with long slits on the sides so I could attack with my blades with ease while still maintaining an apparently passive stance. I glanced back at boss-man for orders. He studied the men coming in his shoulders held square, his chin held high. After a minute he relaxed and motioned for me to resume my place at his side. I conceded and then turned to face the fresh meat. It was probably best I had my face hidden; otherwise my shock would have been evident. The figures were the ones from before; the tall black man, the perky blonde, and Eliot, who looked angrier than when I last saw him. Crap, crap, crappity-crap! What happens if he recognizes me? I am so screwed.

"Hardison! You've come for more of my fine merchandise, si?" By his tone, boss-man must either realy like this Hardison fellow, or he pays really well, possibly both. "Miguel, nice to see you again. Yes, actually I am here for a part or two. You want to show me what you got?" It was the black man speaking, so that must be Hardison. The blonde had zeroed in on the pile of merchandise that was neatly topped with my recent additions. By the look in her eye I was going to have to have her checked before she left. Boss-man would be quite upset if his little group was robbed blind by one girl.

Boss-man and Hardison were inspecting our stocks. I glanced and Eliot, to see what role he was playing, only to catch him staring me down. Out of pure instinct I adjusted my stance. He raised an eyebrow and slowly approached until there was only three or four feet between us. Uncomfortable with the lack of personal space I stepped back so that I had one foot propped against the wall.

Our eyes locked and an unintentional starring contest commenced. After years of being alone and on my own I could stare down grown men twice my size and three times my age with grace and ease. One game with my long lost brother and I was fighting not to blink. Then he spoke.

"You're pretty young to be running with this crowd, what would you're parents think?" His voice was quite, kind even, I rembered he had a soft spot for kids living in bad conditions. I didn't reply, answering him with silence and a slow blink.

"Do you talk? What do the have you doing here anyways?" I nodded in answer to his first question, and then leaned back against the wall, my eyes conveying that I was more than a mere grunt for this rat pack.

Before he could comment again I was alerted to a shock of blonde hair getting much to close to our wares to be considered idle curiosity. Before Eliot could stop me I was firmly in place between the girl and the hoard of electronics, my blades now easily seen and gleaming in the dimly lit room. The girl started, she stepped back quickly and nearly fell over.

Miguel looked up and saw my stance, he raised an eyebrow at the Hardison fellow. "Were you planning on leaving with more than you planned on paying for?"

"Of course not! My friend here is just, is just a little to curious for her own good. Come over here Parker and stay out of trouble." The last part was spoken as a harsh whisper. The blonde girl, Parker, pouted slightly and then walked over to stand next to Hardison looking extremely bored. I hadn't moved, watching her closely. Miguel whistled and my eyes met his. "No need to be so worried Con, these are friends." Personal experience told me that nobody should be careless when it was just friends when money was involved.

But nevertheless I went back to my wall. Eliot was looked like he was lost in some kind of memory when I returned. It wasn't until I was propped up again and I began tossing my blades did he come back earth.

When he came to he looked at me as if in a new light. Crap, I mentally face palmed. I forgot he recognized fighting styles faster than faces and names. He always said my style was 'disticnitive' and that he would know it any where.

"He said your name was Con? That short for something?" He spoke with a sudden urgency and I knew my charade was done for. I would either have to give up now or move before first light. I had had a long day and the latter seemed far from appealing, so I decided to risk letting the cat out of the bag.

I reached up and pulled my collar forward so that my face could be seen, and pulled my hat off so that my messy short cut hair and my hazel eyes were more easily examined.

"It's short for Contessa, brother; you of all people should know that."

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. The whole room had already been quite, but when I had spoken aloud it was more silent than a grave. Eliot's companions were starring dumbfounded, and Miguel's eyes were open wide in surprise.

"Tessa, wha…what-"

I cut him off, walking past him towards Miguel. Boss-man's eyes followed me as I came to a stop in front of him.

"Will my cut cover the cost of the parts our _friends_ need?" I inquired calmly in a the business like act I always used when money was involved. He was brought out of his thoughts as soon as I began speaking the universal language of payment. His cheerful personality once again present on his battle scarred face.

"Of course it would _chica_, your cut could pay for three times what the fellow needs." I smiled at him, well smirked actually, but when doing business they were one and the same.

"If that is so Miguel dear, then I'll cover their costs. I think I'll be leaving you sooner than I had originally anticipated. I do hope you weren't lying when you said you'd be sad to see me leave."

He chuckled, he had always found my more talkative side amusing. I liked Miguel, and would definitely be sad to leave his crew. Even if I could make twice what they make in a month in less than a week on my own. By far he was my favorite boss.

"Of course Con. Eh! You three get Hardison his merchandise." He gestured towards the group of lowlifes that had been playing cards in the corner. Without a word they began the search for the required electronic gadgets and what not.

"I leaned against the table that displayed Miguel's collection, where Hardison and Miguel had previously been bartering. "Because you're my favorite Rat King, you can keep half of my payment for this week." His grin grew and stretched from one pierced ear to the other.

"I always liked you _chica_, you _are_ the best!" When the three had retrieved the parts and my due's had been properly doled out I turned to kiss both of Miguel's scarred cheeks. He returned the gesture happily, giving me a warm hug. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my brother's crew all staring befuddled and bewildered. My own smirk grew and I turned away from my latest crew. Leaving behind Miguel and his little family.

I sauntered over to my brother tapped his shoulder to show it was time to leave and headed for the door. Just as my form was silhouetted in the doorway, the gray evening light casting my face in shadows, I said my final farewell. The same thing I said anytime I left, or someone leaves me.

"Miss me." My piece said I left, Eliot, Hardison, and Parker trailing behind me, the newest victims of Contessa 'Spencer'.

The trip back to Leverage HQ was silent, Eliot hadn't said a word. He had apparently decided that walking practically on top of me and glancing at me every few seconds would make me spill my guts. He was wrong. The air around our little group was tense, practically choking with questions. They didn't even bother to ask where we were going. It wasn't until we were at their home-base did they realize where I was headed.

"Hold up. How did you know this is where we worked?" Hardison was the first to brave the silence, his paranoia getting the best of him. Because I was a mean little girl I turned my head towards him and smirked.

"I didn't, but thanks for the update Hardison." He bristled at my comment. Still feeling some what playful I looked at Eliot, a mask of indifference of my face.

"So, you do you want to just walk on up there or do you want to ring your boss, what was his name, Nate, before we go?" I had been doubting the intel I had spent weeks gathering, but by the looks on their faces I was spot on. Go Tessa!

He blinked and then slipped past me, indicating we were to follow. Odd as it was I had missed his gruff behavior, and I slipped into routine easily. We all piled into an elevator, cheery set still lame music floating above our heads. Aparently all of this excitement has me feeling more chipper and hyperactive than normal. I swayed side to side getting into the song. Without meaning to Parker joined in and the two of us danced like a couple of idiots until we made it to our floor.

Without waiting for an invitation I slipped out and meandered my way down the hallway until I found what looked like an office door that just screamed *Meeting place for all members*. All right it kind of said conference room on the door but you could atleast give me credit for trying to feign perceptiveness.

Without any proper announcement, no knocking or softly asking for entry I let myself in rather obnoxiously.

"Honey I'm home!" Scanning the room with an eyebrow raised and smirk twisting the corners of my mouth awry my eyes came to light upon two figures staring at a wall practically covered with screens. Donning my charade of professional arrogance, the character known as Kitten, my thieving alternate identity I promenaded to the conference table, pulling out a chair and unceremoniously propping my feet on the table. The room was well lit, better than most of the places I've worked in the years past. The light however cast shadows on my face as a tilted my head forward and grinned devilishly at the two occupying the seats across from me.

"I'm Con, and I must say I am looking forward to making your lives a living hell."


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N) Yo, Rat here. I would like to say YOU ARE AWESOME AND EXTREMELY FANTASTIC to Mournful-Optimist, my first reviewer. Here is chapter 2 for you guys, I spent a whole lot of time avoiding doing real work to put this up so quick so I hope you guys enjoy it. Onward to the disclaimer...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or any part of it. All I own is Con, and she doesn't seem to be all that thrilled with that idea.**

**I hope you all enjoy and I would love to hear your feedback. Buh-Bye! : ) **

A New Game to Play

_"I'm Con, and I must say I am looking forward to making your lives a living hell."_

The reactions to my rather forward introduction to the room's occupants were varied. The man known as Hardison looked at me like I was possessed or the spawn of Satan, something along those lines. The blonde, Parker, blinked and then grinned as if I had said I was going to buy her a pony. Strange girl, I'll need to keep an eye on her. The woman sitting across from me let out a slight gasp, her body freezing as she stared at me, the newest anomaly in their lives. Eliot sighed, his brow furrowing as his normal angry expression took its place on his face. His eyes were starring at me hard, but I couldn't deal with that now. The last person in the room, a man with curly brown hair and presence about him that made it clear he was in charge, he didn't move an inch. Not a single reaction was gained from him; he just stared back into my hazel eyes no doubt trying to unnerve me.

We stayed like that for what seemed like forever, just staring at each other waiting to see who would break first. Being Eliot's sister meant I was used to these games; we used to do the same thing over who got the last Popsicle. Unfortunately for me the man before me had much more experience. His chocolate eyes were boring into mine, drilling straight past my hardened exterior, trying with all their might to pull back the layers of gritty, stubborn personality, sarcasm, and arrogance. If he keeps this up I'm going to lose. I was only inches from my breaking point, the intensity finally getting to me, when he stopped. The man blinked slowly and sat back in his chair. A fist came to rest at his chin thoughtfully as his eyes glazed over, most likely lost in thought.

I waited for someone else to break the silence, for some else to speak up and ask questions or demand answers. Not that I was shy or bashful in the slightest, I just found it more fun to play the defensive side. It was much easier to appear experienced, intelligent, _older_, if you were able to have the last words. You could think about you're response and form the argument to lead in the direction you wanted it to go. That is, as long as you didn't let your own guard down of course.

The first to break the silence was not who I had thought it would be. From past jobs I have worked, I was almost always forced to go through the right hand man. With the rare exception, any direct confrontation between the Boss and me was discouraged greatly.

"So, Con was it? You are Eliot's younger sister." The way he said it was almost like he was speaking to some third grader. He either didn't believe me or he was trying to see who he was dealing with. I like to flatter myself and believe that it was the latter but who am I kidding?

"Now, now… You should know better than to start asking questions before you even introduce yourself." Yes, I was mocking him, speaking as if I was some elderly grade school teacher scolding a child for poor manners. It was bad habit of mine I should probably work on.

"Hmm, yes, I suppose that was deserved. I'm Nathan Ford, the head of Leverage operations." Ah yes, Nathan Ford, I had heard his name from my research, but I had never been graced with a picture. He was the mastermind, the man with the plan. Of all the people to have decided to have a battle of the wits with, only I would manage to get Nathan Ford. Sucks to be me I guess. Oh well, lets see where this goes.

"I've heard of you, it's a pleasure to meet such a successful member of our society." This time I wasn't mocking him. The stories I have heard about his man, he is a whole new level of thief, not someone to be trifled with for sure. His eyebrows rose questionably. "Our society you say? What society would that be?"

Crap, I screwed up, the first rule of thieving is never admitting to someone who is wealthy enough to OWN a police force of his own that you are a thief. Being sure that my eyes didn't betray a hint of concern I resolved to tread lightly from now on.

"Nathan dear, playing coy won't solve anyone's problems. You know as well as I do that that we both are well known for our... retrieval skills, our abilities at gaining funding for our personal endeavors, you know, the talents that put food on the table," Pausing, I looked to see if he was understanding, he was. I smiled in his direction, my grin like that of a cat playing with its favorite toy.

"Or, I suppose in your case the altar of some ancient temple. How much did you actually pay for this table?" I jested, my hands now running appreciatively over its top.

"Hmm, yes that society. Well actually Con, we aren't what you think. See what you do is steal from people, making them helpless victims of crime. We on the other hand, help people. We pick up where the law leaves off, helping those who can't help themselves because the big guys upstairs are being unjust." He stood and began walking around the table, his shiny shoes making barely a noise on the soft carpet. My eyes followed his movements as he came to a rest sitting on the table next to my feet. His eyes began boring into mine again, the way he made me feel so nervous, so inexperienced, was getting old real quick.

"How old are you Con? You look a little young to be in this business, to be a member of this 'society' as you put it." He spoke quietly, like he was disappointed in me or something else lame like that. Ch, I don't need this crap. I'm not some little girl who's rebelling, trying her best to bad. I was me, Con, rising master thief, and independent woman who didn't need any of this 'poor troubled little girl' bull.

Stretching my neck up, tilting my head back to look him square in the eyes. "I'm 22; I just look short for my age. What's it matter to you?" I made no attempt to mask the sarcasm. It was clear I was lying, there was no need to willingly admit to being 16, or was it 17? I'll have to check that latter, age isn't one of my top priorities nowadays.

A scuffle was heard from behind me. In the doorway Eliot had apparently lost his patience, he had knocked over a vase in his little fit. Honestly I was surprised he had lasted as long as he did, when we were growing up he was normally the one who would make sure I minded my manners. No doubt he had been spending the last few minutes restraining the urge to knock me upside the head for being as ruse as I was.

"Nate, I'll deal with this, just give me a few minutes and I'll get things sorted out alright." I refused to look at him, looking at him now would make me lose my cool.

"No, Eliot, I think you would actually make this worse. Why don't you go outside with Sophie with a few minutes?" If I interpreted the growl I heard correctly, Eliot wasn't all that thrilled with that idea. Nonetheless, I heard the door open and heavy booted footsteps accompanied by the soft clicking of heels as the exited the room. When the door was shut tight, the majority of the tension that had been drowning everyone in the room dissipated, note that I said the majority.

* * *

"Now that he's taken care of, why don't you share just who it is that you are Con." Nathan had moved from his perch on the table to stand in front of the wall of screens. I was silent, trying to decide how much I wanted to tell them, and how much they already know, how much I should let them learn on their own. As it turns out, that particular decision was wrenched from my grasp.

"Con- new to the game of burglary, already on the list of thieves most watched for by the police. Her real name- Unknown. Age- estimated between fifteen and seventeen. She is known for being the brute force in many organized crime teams, because of her young age no one ever suspects her of being the hired mercenary. As far as skills she is known for being an adept fighter, specializing in weaponry, and quick paralyzing blows. As well being a skilled mercenary she is well known for her role as being a wanted thief for hire, stealing for street crews and important people." Mr. Ford finished his little profile, looking ever so smug at the sight of my wide eyed expression.

"Hold up, how do you know so much about this chick man? We didn't even know Eliot had a sister until like half an hour ago. And there is no _way_ you had all that Googled before I got back." Hardison was clearly perturbed, Parker on the other hand was simply staring at him with an expression not the far from my own. I heard mumble under breath and was only just able to make out the words.

"He's got to be Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, it would explain everything, and how he _knows_ everything."

As unlikely as Parker's theory was, I would have to agree. This man was getting scarier by the minute. Thankfully, he decided to throw us a bone.

"When I worked at IYS insurance, received her name on one of my watch lists. She had stolen a number of valuable pieces of jewelry from a moving shipping van; actually she emptied most of the van. The jewelry was the only thing my company wanted me to be concerned with however."

That explains it, I felt much better now. I tried very hard, not always hard enough though, to stay out of the public spotlight. I was still fairly new at this whole stealing game, having only been at it seriously for two or three years now. Not that anyone would ever guess. Although, knowing that I was on a wanted list created by a company as large as IYS does make my day just a little bit brighter.

"So you've heard of me eh? Nice to know I have a reputation." I couldn't keep the stupid grin from my face. Hardison paused in mid mutter, most likely involving something along the lines of Nate holding out on the rest of the team and how not cool that was. The two of them were going to be needing to have a talk real soon.

"Yes, and by the way you waltzed right on up to our office, right up to our specific floor, you've heard a little about us as well."

"Touché."

"Thank you. So, now that we understand at least a little more about what each other are capable of, why don't you fill in the holes for us?"

He leaned against the table conversationally, waiting for my response. My two options were to either: Fess up and tell them my whole life story. Or, I could do what I normally do. Yes, I like that option a lot, a whole lot.

Slowly I removed my feet from the table, stretching as I stood. I turned to look at the others around me. Hardison looked on expectantly; he obviously thought I was going to break under the magical force that is Nathan Ford. If he had been just a little bit scarier and if I was a little bit less stubborn then it might have happened too. Parker was watching with the intensity of a little kid at a movie theatre. Finally Nathan, Mr. Ford, he was waiting patiently for me to explain everything about me. To bad I didn't feel like complying just yet.

* * *

"No, I don't think I will, at least not just yet. You all are so good at what you do, that is, so I've heard. Why don't you figure it out?" I walked towards the door, no one moved to stop me. The door swung open easily as I opened it. I strode from the room accidentally knocking shoulders with a figure that had happened to be standing outside the doors. I heard someone call my name but my own patience had been worn much to thin. It wasn't every day I met my match, true I was throwing the equivalent to a hissy fit, but I was entitled every now and then. I _am _only sixteen after all, or was it seventeen? They're just lucky I didn't knock him through the ceiling. I haven't been this good natured in ages, normally the minute things don't go my way someone's nose gets broken.

I exited into the hallway and glanced towards the elevator. I heard my name again and decided that the stairs were a better idea. I through open the door and took them two at a time until I found the door that led out onto the roof. It was dark out by now, the sky was cloudy still. Only thin slivers of silver gave even the slightest hint that the moon was out. I walked out to the edge and sat down, dangling my legs over the side of the building. I tried the breathing exercises I had learned when I was little. Back when Eliot was around for more than a month at a time, back before he would disappear for years without a call or a letter. He taught me how to fight, how to meditate, how to control my temper. Well actually he tried to teach me to control my temper, never could get the hang of it though.

The door swung open behind me and I heard that voice calling my name again. I heard my pursuer stop, and slowly call me again. I turned my head towards the sound, just enough to let them know I heard them. The night air was cold, kind of damp. I always enjoyed nights like this. The person was closer now, I hadn't realized how close until I felt a hand on my shoulder. Startled I opened my eyes and turned, unconsciously calculating whether or not I could flip who ever it was off the top of the building without taking a tumble myself. I shot up, readying myself for an attack when I was roughly grabbed around the shoulders.

I was yanked away from the ledge and pulled into a hard chest. I tried to struggle but they were too strong for me. I looked up into their face, a scathing insult ready to be thrown in the face of who ever was messing with me. I was met with blue eyes, very familiar, rather angry looking blue eyes.

"Eliot…" My previous spunky attitude thrown to the wind the second I actually had to look him in the eyes. I was nothing but a little girl, scared and alone.

"You were supposed to stay with Aimee's family. You were supposed to grow up going to a high-school and dating guys. You were supposed to be happy there, why did you throw that all away to become a wanted criminal." He spoke quietly, sharply. He was mad; of course he was going to be mad. But he also sounded confused and hurt. It didn't make sense.

"_You_ were supposed to come back." Yes, it was weak compared to his list but it was all I had. Apparently it was enough though. His eyes lost their angry gleam and the grip on my fore arms loosened.

"You said you come back, but you never called once. I stayed with Aimee and her folks for ages, but going back between their place and Dad's was getting to be too much. He was getting worse…and I couldn't take it anymore. I… looked everywhere until I tried everything, hobbies, friends, boys," He growled low in his throat at that but I couldn't laugh right now. "Nothing took, I was becoming a mess inside, and even Aimee was starting to figure it out. So I left, and took the first job I could find. It wasn't exactly legal but it was work, and I liked it." I looked up at him, waiting for the reprimand. Was waiting to be told that I was an idiot at that I should just go home. Part of me wanted him to yell at me, just so that I could argue and have a reason to fight, the other part wanted to hug the life out of him so that he never left me again.

"Tessa, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If I had known..." He cut himself off; he couldn't finish it, most likely because it would have been a lie. He couldn't have done anything. I was till fuzzy on the detail of what he had been up to, but even I could guess that he couldn't just drop everything a run to take care of his baby sister.

"You've grown up so fast." Then I was crushed into his burly frame. He held me close to him, mumbling sorry. I had always tried to keep a stiff upper lip, made sure I didn't cry over anything. Eliot wouldn't have been bothered by anything, Eliot wouldn't have ever cried no matter how bad things got. I had lived by these standards for years. I looked up to my big brother even though he wasn't there half of the time. Now, I forgot it all and broke down, hugging him as close as I could.

* * *

We didn't stand there long. Neither of us was all that comfortable with openly showing our weaknesses like we were now. We broke apart and walked to the edge of the roof. I crossed my arms, the slits in the sleeves of my jacket making them fall open on my arms.

"You better not ell any of your friends what happened up here. I have a reputation of being a stubborn little monster to uphold. If word gets out I have a soft side I'll never hear the end of it." Eliot nodded in the darkness. He wouldn't tell. This was my business, not theirs; if they wanted to find out they could figure it out on their own.

"They'll find out eventually though, you know that right." His eyes were distant, he wasn't here with me on the roof any more, more than likely he was thinking about Aimee, or about past adventures.

I turned on my heel, heading back inside, my arms swinging cheerfully at my sides. There was no longer any reason to cry. I didn't need to be upset right now anyway, I had a game to play. "I know they will. But I need a new game, and I think that your new team mates make excellent toys. I wonder who will figure it out first."

He caught up with me and opened the door heading to the stairs. "My money's on Hardison." I grinned as I slipped past him and began descending down the flight stairs. "I don't know Eli; I say Parker is smarter than she looks." He glared at my form as I descended to the floors below.

"I hate it when she calls me Eli."


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N) Hey, here is your chapter three. I would have had it done sooner but, well, okay I have no excuse. Please forgive the wait. I would like to thank you for all of the reviews they mean so much to me. Any one who knows me has to deal with me randomly jumping up and down over reviews for days on end. I appreciate all of them, and I do apologize if my characters seem unrealistic or obnoxious. I am still developing them and I am still an amateur at best with this whole writing deal. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it is more exciting than last one(I couldn't help with the mushy bit. *Note to self-avoid sappy songs while trying to write seriously. ).**

**In comes a new character and a twist, kinda.**

**Disclaimer: Rat owns absolutely nada besides Con (who is nowhere close to being thrilled with that arrangement) and Tristan (who is much nicer about it than Con)**

**To the story we go!! : )**

* * *

3

Con's Friend is the nice type

Parker strolled past the meeting room, spotted something that did not belong and decided to book it, walking as quietly as she could. A few minutes latter Hardison walked by the room as well, saw the three he was looking for gesturing wildly to be quite and look at the table. He glanced and then decided to join them in hiding, eyeing the table worriedly as he passed. He slipped into the adjacent room, meeting up with Parker and everyone else who had accumulated into the fairly small space. Four heads peered out through the doorway, as if there was a wild beast beyond the confines of their cramped hiding space.

"Nate, what are we going to do, that girl seems like the crazy type, and I _am not_, repeat _am not_, going to be the one to wake her up." Hardison glanced back at the meeting room, his eyes clouded over with fear, no doubt envisioning the possible out comes of waking the poor girl up. "Well, somebody is going to have to do it; I don't think we can let her be for much longer. It's nearly noon." Sophie walked around Hardison to get a better look at the situation. They both flinched when she rolled over.

"Why don't we just get Eliot to do it, she's his sister." Parker seemed to be the least concerned with this situation. She had come by just because she was bored. "I like that idea, but unfortunately Eliot isn't here, and there is no telling when he will be. "I think are prayers may have been answered man, here he comes now." The others all crowded around Hardison to try and find their savior with their own eyes.

Eliot walked past the open doors to the conference room, briefly glancing inside to see if any one was currently occupying it. He was about to continue on in search of the rest of the team when paused. Slowly his feet stepped backwards, not sure if what he saw was real or not. He came to a stop in front of the open doors and took a better look.

His eyes had apparently not failed him. The room looked no different than normal, four walls, a floor, fancy table, and an excessive amount of TV's. The only thing that was off was the teenage girl asleep on top of the before mentioned fancy table. Eliot's eyebrows furrowed, puzzling over why his strange little sister was asleep on a table and not on a chair or the floor somewhere like she was known for doing. Shaking his head he looked up only to catch sight of the frantic waving of his fellow team members. The look of fear on the faces was clearly evident, well, all except Parker's, she just looked bored.

Blinking in mild confusion he walked across the room towards the crowded one adjacent to it. "What are all of ya'll doing in here?" Everyone stared at him shocked and shushed him obnoxiously. Eliot asked again, softer this time. "What are you guys doing?" Nate spoke up, "Well, Sophie and I came in here in order to get ready for the presentation; we had to set up the TV's and get all of the files in order. When we came in here we didn't notice Con on the table until it was too late, she rolled over and said some things I don't think children he age should know in her sleep. We panicked and hid in here. Parker followed a few minutes later and decided it would be best to hide instead of risk waking her up. The same goes for Hardison. Now, my question to you is: Why on earth is your sister asleep on our conference table?" Nate's little whisper rant had gotten just a tad too loud at the end and the group all turned gazes towards the sleeping girl.

She twitched, rolled over, and then muttered darkly. "Stupid gummy bears…….if I want to eat pizza I will!" She rolled again so that she was now facing the door, clutching a knife the size of he forearm as if it was a teddy bear. "Dude, your sister is creepy, like, worse than Parker creepy man." Nate and Sophie nodded in agreement. "What's that supposed to mean?" Parker was looking at Hardison curiously. When he saw her look he immediately began backtracking. The two of them slipped away, Parker inches away from glaring at him and Hardison kissing up for all he's worth.

"I don't know. When we came back downstairs yesterday you all had already left. I offered to let her stay with me but she said she would be fine and that she had things to do before going home anyways. So I left." Nate stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "You left; you just left your little sister alone in our HQ to fend for herself. Do you the kind of stuff she might have been looking through last night. You left all alone with our files, our info, everything that makes this team's job run smoothly?" Eliot stepped back, an offended look on his face.

"Of course not, what do you take me for? I locked up and left her outside the building doors. She's a big girl and can take care of herself, I figures Hardison had this pace locked up tighter than Fort Knox so her getting back in shouldn't have been a problem." "Well clearly there was!" "Would you both just be quiet for God's sake? Honestly, you both are acting like children, what are we supposed to do when the two of you screaming at each other wakes her up?"

"Well, you could start with getting her something to eat, like cereal or a waffle or two. *Yawn* Are you all always this annoying, or I am special and you just want make me feel welcome?" It got very quiet as all five of the quarreling adults turned to look at the child with the dark expression that stated very clearly, you shall do my bidding or you shall feel my wrath.

"I'm on it."

"I'll help too."

Parker and Hardison were out of there quicker than you could say 'demon child'.

* * *

Con followed them out with her eyes and then brought them back to rest on the other three who were staring intensely at her. Con brought her legs into a crisscross position and leaned back on her hands, the air of complete contentment surrounding her. Her expression was still a little out there and it was obvious she wasn't a morning person.

"Con, I suppose I should say good to see you again, though I feel it is too early to be sure about that."

"That hurts Nathan dear, I thought we were friends. Oh well, anyways, have I told you how much I like this table?" She yawned again stretching her arms in front of her very much like a cat would. "Yes you have actually, speaking of which, why were you asleep on top of my table? The doors were locked last night and you shouldn't have been able to get back in here." Nathan leaned against the table, speaking in a conversational tone. Con knew however that he was dying with curiosity and most likely annoyance at how exactly she had been able to get past their whole menagerie of security supplies and tech.

"I have my ways Nathan dear, and like most everything else I don't plan on sharing." The two shared a glare; both of them were too stubborn to give up their little game of lies and truths just yet. Suddenly Con's glare changed to a look of surprise. "Aww crap! I forgot to call home last night, he's gonna kill me."

Both Eliot and Nathan were too shocked by the random outburst to process it correctly and reply at a decent speed so Sophie intervened. "Who is going to kill you and why exactly?" Con came down from outer space, having been lost in her thoughts. "Oh well, not 'kill me' kill me. But he is going to be tough to live with for the next couple of days. I need a phone, maybe I can reach him before he does anything drastic."

Apparently at the words 'he' and 'live with' Eliot was shocked back into the real world. "Wait just a minute, who is 'he', and live with?!?" His words were lost on deaf ears as Con was already leaving the room in search of someone with a cellular device. "Tessa, you get back here and answer me!" Eliot stormed out after her, Sophie and Nate not far behind.

"Hardison I need a phone, this is matter of life, death, and possibly my music collection." The now confused man turned around from where he had been preparing a bowl of cereal for Con. "O.k., why?" He was reaching into his pocket when the ding of the elevator could be heard. "Damn, too late."

Six sets of eyes turned to look in the direction of the door. Nothing happened. "What do you mean damn? I'm not seeing anything damn worthy, and why is someone your age saying damn, Eliot you need to have a talk with this girl. She must get a kick or something out of scaring the crap outa all of us cause I don't see anything that makes me want to quake in my boots-"

Hardison's rant was cut short as the door banged open and a small cylindrical object was rolled through it. "HIT THE DECK!" Parker and Con were the first to jump for cover at the sight of the strange object. The others weren't as skittish and leaned in closer to see what it was. At the sight of the digital timer they began to wish they had listened to the duo who were currently army crawling towards the furthest corners of the room. The timer read 0:01 and there was not time to react, BOOOOMMM! A bright flash of light filled the room and everyone who had been standing was now laid out flat on the floor, knocked over from surprise and fright.

A white powder covered the room, giving it the appearance of someone having left a window open in a snow storm. "Alright, nobody move. Hand over the obnoxious one known as Con and I promise not to kill you slowly." The ones on the floor, completely discombobulated, blinked and tried to get their bearings. In the door way stood a tall figure, roughly 5' 11", his voice clearly male. It was kind of hypnotic, like the soft roar of a lion, beautiful and still frightening.

From the farthest wall where Parker and Con had braced themselves a sigh could be heard. "Tristan, could you be more melodramatic?" Instantly the mood went from possibly deadly to pleasant and comfortable, at least between the newest intruder and the strange 'obnoxious one as she had been called. "Con, there you are. You didn't call me last night so I was worried, I thought the worst things had happened. You could have been arrested, or could have gotten drafted by gang, or that you had killed some idiot that had messed with you and you were having to deal with getting rid of the body all on your own! And because you didn't call me I couldn't help you and I didn't know where you were!"

Now to Con these kind of exclamation were normal and her response was a simple eye roll. The rest of the people present were not so well acquainted with such thought processes, which in turn warranted an almost perfectly harmonized "That is what you think is the worst that could happen?!?" The person who apparently answered to Tristan stepped out of the cloud of powdery smoke created from the bomb. "Ah, well with Con you learn to expect the odd and unusual, it would take just that to keep her from calling to check in _normally_." He finished his explanation accusingly, throwing a pointed glare in Con's direction.

"Oh don't give me that. I said I was going to be working last night, and with surveillance of these people and Miguel's crew you should have known that I would have been a little late." Con waved her hands dismissively in his direction, turning her back to him and walking to retrieve the bowl of cereal with her name on it. It was his turn to sigh, completely collapsing on the floor where he stood and hanging his head in exhaustion. "A little late she says, it's 11:30 in the morning and she was supposed to have been home by 8:30 last night. I don't know why I let her tool me along like this. No wait I do, I can't afford the rent without her, plus she is just so damn adorable." He was muttering softly to himself, lamenting his misfortune. Parker and Sophie at the sight of the poor boy couldn't help but walk over and pat him on the back reassuringly.

"Ah, yes, excuse me but who are you exactly?" By now Nathan had given up on maintaining his whole all knowing façade. The boy currently mumbling his lack of luck was much more open than Con. He looked up quickly, causing his dark hair to flip out of his eyes, it was a little longer than his shoulder and pulled back into a tight ponytail, all except for the fringe of bangs that fell into his chocolate colored eyes. He was mocha colored and smiled from ear to ear as he introduced himself. "I apologize for intruding in such a flamboyant fashion, my name is Tristan Wesley." He stood up and held out a hand for Nate to shake, he took it cautiously, spooked by his polar opposite personality from his friend.

Before anymore could be said Hardison cut in. "Aww hell no! No, what the hell are you doing?" Con walked up next to him cereal bowl in hand and spoon in her mouth, by the grin on he face she knew something like this was going to happen. "Uncle Hardison? Why did you kidnap my girlfriend?" If they weren't confused before they were now. "Would you call _this_ 'damn' worthy now Hardison?" Con's sly grin caused a new string of expletives to slip from the now flustered hacker.

"GIRLFRIEND?!?"


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N) Heyo peoples of the planet Earth. Time for chapter 4, things are explained a little bit in this one, it's a bit of a background on the OCs. Things will start getting more interesting next chapter...I hope...**

**Sorry for the delayed update, I planned on updating by Thursday but I had stuff...and...well sorry but I am just a lazy girlie.**

**Disclaimer: Rat owns absolutley nothing only Contessa and Tristan actually belong to me, I am to cheap and broke to be able to afford anyhting else. (Let alone a whole T.V Series. Maybe I could afford apeice of gum featured in one episode...no...not even that..*Sigh***

**We're off to read the next chapter, the wonderful chapter- forget it, I hope you enjoy. Reviews are appreciated with much love!**

4

Now things are getting interesting

Outside in the streets of New York the world passed by cheerfully, blissfully unaware of the horrors their city held within its walls. But to speak of such things would break the magic spell cast upon it. Is it not better to go on living, lying to yourself and saying that things can't get any better? Simply telling yourself that nothing can touch you, hurt you, break you or bring you down. No, there isn't. Too bad then that such ignorance can only be held within ones grasp for a little while.

Eventually you learn that things can always get worse, that the world you've been smiling and laughing about is not all fairytales and butterflies. In that single moment of realization you can choose to do one of two things, live with the fact, or give up. I never had a choice; to give up would have been losing. Contessa does not lose. I tore my eyes away to stare at the chaos unfolding with the confines of Leverage head-quarters.

Nate and Eliot were having a quite albeit heated conversation involving whether or not it was alright to toss my dear friend Tristan out of the window. Parker and Sophie were standing off to the side, talking to Hardison as he called his sister on the phone. Tristan stood with his arm draped around over my shoulder, his head tilted to the side as he listened to the people around of him. Tristan wasn't the kind to take action; he never did anything unless somebody told him to. Before I had met him he would work for anyone, do practically anything, as long as he thought he was helping you, he would give his right arm with a smile on his face.

His eyes followed the actions of the men in the corner arguing, his smile twitching at the corners of his mouth as Eliot glared at him. I couldn't help but sigh. It's my fault completely that he gets a kick out of annoying others now, before me he would have been clinging to the hem of Eliot's pants trying to get him to forgive him. He met my eyes and winked. I shook my head and returned to my eyes to the window, to the people who walked by without a care in the world besides 'what do I want to have for dinner?'

_The idiots I was working for now wanted me to run protection of sorts on some geek inventor dude who was supposed to be able to get us in to the Michigan state art museum in less than two minutes. They tell me he can get us past the security cameras, through the key entry doors, and around the motion detectors that were stationed around the collection of Grecian artifacts. Yeah, right. I look around the dimly lit alleyway I was told to meet the most man. He was most likely going to be some MIT drop out with thorn in his side who decided to play the part of the villain in his own personal graphic novel. _

_It was going to be a long night. My patience was wearing thin; the moron was already three minutes late. What good is a genius if he isn't on time? I was about to blow the whole thing, I have better options than this, when foot steps could be heard coming towards me. "Took you long enough, if I wasn't supposed to be looking out for your sorry ass I would have knocked it into next week." I swung around, impatience and distaste evident on my lightly tanned features. "I'm sorry, but I thought you would be hungry." He was tall, handsome even. But unlike my previous assumptions he was far from the basement dwelling college dropout. _

_His caramel colored hand held out a milk shake for me, the sides still coated with condensation. "I wasn't sure what you would want so I went with chocolate. I have strawberry if you'd rather trade." The face that grinned down at me wasn't that of a hardened criminal. He was something else that's for sure. Pulling myself together I snatched the cold beverage from his hand and pushed past him. "We're late; we need to hurry if we want things to go smoothly." I pulled the collar of my jacket up and the brim of my hat down. He trotted along behind me like a lost puppy. The moon shone silver on the damp streets. It was a five minute walk to the back entrance of the museum, but it felt much longer than that._

_The silence was deafening. It bothered me greatly but I was too stubborn to be the first to break it. I was here to make sure this buffoon didn't get himself hurt. "Hey, you know, you seem pretty young to be working this side of the law?" He spoke as if we were conversing over coffee, not heading to clean out a museum of its glittering artifacts. He sipped from his ice cream noisily, waiting on my reply. _

_"I could say the same for you professor. You don't seem like the criminal genius I was expecting kiddo." I could hear him chuckle behind me. "Touché, I got into the business because I needed a hobby. Mom sent me to live with Dad so as to 'better my education in a safe environment'. He's the dean of the local college." I paused in my stride, tripping on the curb as I stepped to cross the road. I was about to fall when a firm hand caught hold of arm. "Watch it! I'd hate to have you break your face walking." I quickly righted myself. My cheeks flushed from my fall. "Why?" When he looked confused I turned away and kept walking. "Why did you want to leave that kind of life?" I called over my shoulder. I hoped he wouldn't answer, that he'd say it was none of my business. To think that someone would willingly give up that kind of life to be a criminal, a thief, it confused my greatly." He didn't answer, at least not for a while. We were nearing the target, the back door to the loading plat form not ten feet away when he answered. "Because I hated it. I didn't like being coddled. I'd rather steal things, get things by working for them rather than have them handed to me." I couldn't help the disbelief that colored my features as I stared at him. He chuckled low again and came to stand in front of me. "Besides, I like this game. I get to meet all kinds of people and do al sorts of things I never would have dreamed of." _

_He tilted his head and stared at me, "What about you? Why do you do it?" He was the first to ask me that question. Honestly, even I hadn't bothered to think about it. I didn't know why I chose to do this, besides the fact that it was one of the few things I enjoyed. I like the thrill that came with beating down someone twice my size in combat, or rush you get when you get your hands on something that the public can't even get within five feet of._

_He grinned, expecting me to reply. Instead I leaned over and put my lips around the straw of his cup. I stole a swig of the frothy beverage from him and then turned to the door, to the job. "We have work to do." He stared at his drink amused and then went to work applying his gadgets to the door, melting right through the locks. We slipped like wraiths in the night, grinning to ourselves, thinking of the wonder we were about to pull off. _

Neither of us were the type to make friends, that much I had learned by the end of our first meeting. Both of us were wanderers, we both left the lives we knew to find something more exciting, something we could do for ourselves, because we both knew we could do much more than we were previously allowed. From then on we worked together as much as possible. I stayed in that city for months, just because we made such a good team.

Eventually however I became restless, I knew I would have to move again soon. Staying in one place for too long was never good; it felt too much like setting down roots. I always worried I would become attached, like I had become to Eliot before he began disappearing off the face of the earth. I had made a friend and as much as staying terrified me, leaving would hurt worse. I smiled at the street below as I though of the day Tristan solved all of my problems for me.

_I was padding around in circles in the cheap motel room I had been living in, wearing a path into the already thin carpet. "Knock-Knock?" My head shot up at the sound of a voice, of Tristan's voice. "Yes?" I stared at him. It wasn't abnormal for him to randomly show up at my humble abode, but to show up with a rather large duffel bag and a computer bag draped around his shoulders was definitely not average behavior. _

_"What are those?" I was the queen of subtly obviously, no need to beat around the bush with Tristan. Playing word games with him was fun yes, but we never got anywhere because we always found a way to trip me up. "Bags my lady, obviously." He grinned at my narrowed glare and continued, "Kidding, it's my stuff. When do you want to go?" My face hurt from the sudden change, one minute I'm glaring at his oh-so witty remark, the next I'm wide eyed with my jaw on the floor. "What are you talking about Tristan? Go where?" I had to sit down, he had never talked of leaving, and the thought of me asking him come with me had never crossed my mind._

_"Oh come on Tessa, do you take me for an idiot? I haven't known you all that long but I know you're smart enough to figure out what I mean." I must have appeared confused still because he smiled and stepped in, closing the door. He continued, "You don't want to stay here for too much longer, you need to keep moving. I don't know you well enough to know why yet, but I know that for some reason you don't want to go this time around. I flatter myself into thinking it's because of me, but by the way you've been acting around me lately it is the only conclusion that makes sense._

_I hung my head in shame. It was true, I had been avoiding him. Every time I saw him, wanted to confront him of my issue with leaving, to ask him to help me find a solution, I chickened out at the last second. I hadn't actually talked to him the past three days. "That's what I thought. So I thought if you leaving with out me would make you seem so muddled then the only logical solution is for me to go with you. Alright?" I looked him in his bright eyes, looking for a sparkle that would tell me he was just teasing again, that this was all a joke and he just wanted to make fun of my weakness. I never found it. I found myself grinning to, a small smile twitching at the corners of my lips. "Yeah, alright."_

We had been partners ever since then. With our skill combined permanently, not just when we were assigned together, we hauled in a much bigger check and could afford an apartment of our own. He was my best friend and jumped on the chance of helping me reconnect on my long lost big brother. He helped with reconnaissance and in research. The two of us together make a deadly team.

Some how from the atmosphere around us, the Leverage team knew that too. A click was heard and the occupants of the room turned towards the sound, still somewhat paranoid after Tristan's dramatic entrance. "Well, this is definitely no what I was expecting when I came to work today." He turned towards Tristan who had moved from casually draping his arms across me in a one sided hug, to attacking me from behind and using my head as chin rest. Stupid tall person. I could feel the dangerous aura emanating from Eliot's stoic form. I was sure that Tristan could too, but when he wanted to snuggle there was no stopping him. I asked him about it once and all he said was that he must have been hug deprived as a child.

"You, you young man are not making my life easy." Hardison was waving his cell phone at him threateningly. "How in the world did you convince her you were off at some special boarding school for gifted children? I almost got an earful of worried screaming mom syndrome when I mentioned you weren't where you were supposed to be." Tristan hummed thoughtfully as he contemplated this. "Well _Uncle_, I didn't say anything to her, so it must have been dad. And besides, I have an automated program set up that sends her e-mails at semi-regular intervals so that I don't have to call her. You didn't need to go worrying her like that. If you had bothered to ask me then I could have told you she was blissfully oblivious with out you having to go to all that trouble." He waved his hand in front of him like it was no big deal and that Hardison was a fool for acting concerned. In reality he was right, and it was no big deal. But flaunting it was just asking for a tirade.

"I ought to smack you. Get off of Con before Eliot has a conniption, and don't call me Uncle." He snapped. Honestly this was hilarious. "But you are my uncle, _Uncle_. What else am I supposed to call you?" Now Tristan was just asking for a fight. I reached up and thumped his head, he responded by tapping mine.

"Be nice to your uncle."

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh, I can't help it. They are so cute. Aren't they Parker?" Sophie was holding back a squeal. "Yep, the cutest." Some how Parker's sarcasm didn't seem as thick as normal. I glanced at the two of them from the corner of my eye and found that they were both inches away from melting at Tristan's adorable obedient boy friend act. A growl could be heard from across the room, low and even. Eliot was loosing it. Tristan wasn't helping any either. If anything he seemed to be enjoying teasing him.

"Alright, things are getting out of hand. Eliot, get over it. So your sister has a boyfriend, what did you expect was going to happen. Con, Tristan was it? Stop causing trouble. I can't very well get the two if you to leave so I guess the two of you are along for the ride. Sophie, Parker, stop giggling like fan girls and go sit down. Hardison…just…just go sit down. He's going to call you uncle no matter what you say. Now, if everyone is through, why don't we get down to business?" Slowly the room's mood became professional, everyone putting aside the things that were previously their concerns to focus on more important matters, the job, helping people. The way they all transitioned into work mode was flawless and left me feeling shut out. I really didn't belong here. They wanted to help people; I was just fine hurting them, perfectly fine with taking their material wants in order to go on living my own way.

"So, Tristan darling, it is clear that this isn't our circle, we live the opposite of their line of work…" I paused, trying to think of something else to say. I didn't think I wanted to help them, I thought I wanted to leave them to there own devices…but…? "I know what you mean Tessa, you like playing games as much as I do, right. Let's play this game for now." Tristan was right, it was a game. Just a silly game to help me figure out what in the world my brother had been up to. Now it was even a game Tristan would be able to be interested in. He had found his uncle amidst the chaos; things were starting to get interesting. That is what I started out thinking of it as, a game, and there was no reason to change that now.

"You're right, it's new game. Let's play." We settled in amongst our newest toys, waiting to hear the rules of our newest form of self entertainment. Neither of us had ever truly grown up, the reason we enjoy living like we do is because we love toys, games, riddles, and puzzles. This line of work was full of them. We were just to children who were set with playing every dangerous game they could find till their hearts content.

When you see the world for what it truly is then you get to choices, except it and move on, or give up. I must have forgotten about the third choice. Take it a run with, enjoy every second by living in this crooked world with rules that were meant to be broken. Break them, play the harsh game of life, and don't look back. Tristan and I have lived like this for years now, and we have no regrets. It's time for a new game, one where there are heroes who aren't conventional, and crooks who can be considerate.


	5. Chapter 5

Our work has begun

The lights dimmed and the room was bathed in the pale glow of the multiple screens covering the wall before them. The reflection of the screen projected on to smooth table top. Con pried her eyes from the table to focus on the pacing man, her newest boss and all powerful leader. Well, mostly all powerful. His voice filled the room, commanding there utmost attention. "Our clients, Mr. and Mrs. Gunthery, are currently in quite a tight spot. Mr. Gunthery's employer, Jonathan Morgans, runs his company with extreme care and consideration." Hardison clicked several buttons and his picture was whisked up onto the myriad of screens. A smiling man with perfectly combed bronze (most likely dyed) hair and dark blue eyes. He appeared at first glance the stereotypical successful business man. But his eyes, though, they reminded me too much of those eyes that had stared me down all through my rise in the criminal underworld, cold, calculating, arrogant. I didn't like him, at all.

"Now, Morgans is very careful when it comes to his pride and joy, his automobile restoration business. Now, this isn't some Mom and Pop, third generation car shop kinda deal, we're talking major business. This man restores Ferraris, Corvettes, everything for some of the biggest names in Hollywood, and commercial industries." Several clips of antique cars, some in show rooms, others pulling up on to the red carpet flitted on to the screens. Eliot, Hardison, Tristan, and Nate were all trying there very best not to drool. "So, you're saying he fixes ratty old cars all day?" Sophie looked on dully, completely oblivious to the sudden rise in testosterone in the room.

"No, he has at least six different plants full of workers that do it for him. Moving on, Mr. Morgans is very well respected among the wealthy, he has enough money and connections to get away with murder." Nate stepped in front of the screens, which had finally stopped scrolling to land on a picture of his mansion. Nate's form was covered by the glow, his contemplative features higlitghted by the bright light. "That's exactly what he did, he got away with murder." The lights were brought back on again and the screensaver again took it's place in the TV screens. "Mr. Gunthery's daughter, Kara, was killed in car accident. The driver was Morgans, he loves his cars and he loves to drive fast. Any normal person would have had their license pulled and would have had to pay a fine for compensation. He didn't. The family understood it was an accident, even if he was completely idiotic to have been driving so recklessly in the first place. They asked him to help pay for funeral costs, to help out even the slightest bit seeing as Mr. Gunthery had worked for him for some twenty odd years."

"Our clients were willing to forgive him up until he refused; he fired Mr. Gunthery not a week afterwards, leaving them unemployed with no way to provide the funeral their little girl deserved." I could see Nate tense up as he spoke, the way he presented the teams newest objective, it was almost like it bugged him personally. Sure it was terrible, and I hated the guy's guts already, but Nathan Ford looked ready to kill. "They don't want anything more than is deserved, but I can see a rather large profit in this for us as well. Morgans company is holding a fundraiser, a ball of sorts in two days. It will be held in the Grand Forate Hotel. Everyone, clients, prospective investors, and respected members of the community will be in attendance. It's our ticket into the company. We get on good terms with them, getting into their vault will be piece of cake."

"Eliot, you and Sophie will be attending. It's invitation only so Hardison is in charge of forging one. We'll also need blue prints of the hotel and of the factory were Mr. Gunthery used to be employed at. Morgans uses that factory as his headquaters and his office can be found there." He was given his silent reply, three heads nodding if confirmation. "Parker, you, Tristan, and Con will be on standby until further notice." Parker pouted but didn't say anything; She new if the time came, well, when the time came she be the first to be called to duty. I relaxed back in my chair and met Nathan's eyes. He was looking straight at me, most likely waiting for me to protest at being left out. With my behavior up until now I can't blame him, I have been hanging around just looking for excitement.

"What about you boss man? What are you going to be doing? Orchestrating from up in your tall tower, watching over the operations with your eagle eyes and listening in like a fly on the wall, are you? You obviously don't trust me or my friend yet; otherwise you'd have us doing something, no matter how menial the task was. But you don't even have us getting you coffee or doughnuts." I tilted my head and smirked up at his stoic figure. "You think I'd poison you? Trust me that would be much too boring. But what is it you plan on doing Nathan dear? You know because we aren't leaving, and because you haven't given us anything to do we'll just be here with you." My grin widened and my eyes narrowed as realization dawned on the faces around me. Hardison looked ready to run screaming like a little girl at the thought of me attempting to drive their master mind more insane than he already is. "All the time, with _nothing to do_. Sounds like fun." Tristan shook his head, he was muttering again. Every time I turn around nowadays Tristan either has his head in his hands or is muttering something about somebody getting shot one of these days. I'll have to ask him about it later.

"Actually, Con, It isn't that I don't trust you. It's that I have no need for what little talents I am aware of you possessing at this moment in time." My grin stayed in place without faltering, I couldn't stop the glare and sardonic look I gave him though. Tristan lifted his head, astonishment on his face. No one had ever talked to me like that before. No matter how big the thugs had been that I came up against, they all maintained a level of respect for my talents. They had never been questioned before, because in the past years I had built up enough of a reputation with my skill that no one who could avoid it ever risked putting themselves on the receiving end of my fury.

"Ah, now that's just being mean Nathan dear. You should pick on little girls, it isn't nice at all." I giggled sarcastically and stood. The sleeves of my jacket swung as I twirled out of my seat. Tristan made to follow, but I pushed him gently back into his seat, my hand brushing across the back of his neck as I slipped past him. I paused at the doorways and glanced back to Nathan and the rest. Tristan stared on, a worried look on his normally pleasant face. I winked at him and then looked back to my newest leader.

"I'm going out to do some business, if you feel it necessary to tail me feel free, but know that I shoot things that piss me off." With that I slipped out and left him staring at the now closed doors.

"Ugh, this is so going to suck." Five heads twisted to look at the frowning me. "What, she storms out because she gets her feelings hurt over something Nate says and you say this is going to suck? Why?" Sophie inquired, a perplexed look on her prim and proper features. "Nate challenged her."

"No he didn't, he just said he didn't know enough about what she was capable of to use her in this run." Uncle Hardison tried to correct me, but Eliot seemed to have reached the same conclusion I had. "She never did like it when I told her she wasn't ready to learn a new technique or skill. When ever I said she wasn't ready the first thing she did was try to prove me wrong." The air filled with apprehension. No matter what Nate had said earlier, the girl was far from harmless. Uncle Hardison had done as much research on her as he could and had briefed each and everyone on the team secretly. She had been hired as a mercenary for some thirty plus jobs, had robbed multiple stores, shops, museums, _moving vehicles_! She was known for being a terror, for being the person that people could count on to get the job done by any means necessary. He had killed a man. That had been a huge blow to Eliot. The man was a murderer himself, had been trying to kill some couple after he robbed them. But she had still shot him. Afterwards, according to reports she had given back what the man had stolen, all except for the man's watch and the girl's cellphone. I wasn't supposed to have known that he had run a background check on her, but I'm no idiot. I know when someone runs a check on my partner, on my girlfriend. Honestly I was pissed when I found out that Uncle had actually tried to sneak it by me.

"She's going to be hard to live with thanks to you." I stretched and pulled myself from my comfortable seat. I made for the door, my head hung low as I tried to figure out what it was she was going to do this time. "Where do you think your going?" Uncle called out. Funny, I hadn't had to answer to anyone in years, no one besides Tessa at least. What on earth provoked me to start again now? "I'm going home. You don't need me now. If anything you need me to keep an eye on Tessa. She is going to want my help because you, Mr. Mastermind, challenged her personally. Someone needs to make sure she isn't doing anything reckless." I was almost positive no one heard the 'again' I tacked on under my breath. Tessa was brilliant, but she didn't always think before she acted, at least not when it came to plans not involving guns, knives, or weaponry of any kind.

I heard a chair scrape and booted foot steps coming up behind me. "I should go talk to her." Ah, Eliot. The brother that no matter how hard she denies it was the real and true reason as to why she took up a 'life of crime'. She had always wanted to reunite with him, to prove that she could handle her self with out him being there. To show him how well she had fared with out him there. She loved him, oh she loved him a lot. But she was still pissed at him. She won't say it to his face of course. She looks up to him to much. But she talks in her sleep, and the majority of the time we've worked together, the nightmares that forced her to wake up screaming always revolved around her big brother. Let's just say that a good deal of the things she said were far from complimentary.

"No, you should stay. They need you here more than she does." I turned to meet his blue eyes, they flashed with anger. Good to now where she gets that look from. "If you think I'm going to leave her again when she needs me to set things straight then you're wrong." He spoke calmly, I see where what Tessa always aims for when she argues with me or anyone for that matter. But normally she sounds colder, more venomous than calm.

"No, if you think I'm going to let you screw with her life again, then _you're_ wrong." He started, his blue eyes blinking in confusion. I see, he still hadn't realized that most of her issues were his fault. Bastard.

"The last thing she needs right now is to have you trying to be a big brother again. She's done perfectly well theses years past, no thanks to you." He looked like he was either going to yell or hit me. I turned back towards the door and left him fuming. Uncle yelled behind me, trying to be a parent. Too bad both of them had been away from their families for far to long to have earned that kind of sway in our lives.

The door swung open easy, too easy and hit the wall rather hard as I yanked it open. I stormed out, trying head not submit to the urge to punch the living daylights out of Tessa's _dear big brother_. It's his fault she has those nightmares, his fault she always wants to prove herself. His fault that she feels she has to live like this.

Stomps from behind me warned me that I was being followed. I followed the twists and turns in along the floor until I came to the stairs. As I reached for the doors a hand came up and slammed it on top of the doors. "What are you getting at? How is it I screwed up her life?"

I didn't answer, just stared at the door trying my best not to turn around and clock this fellow. I'm normally a laid back person, but this guy had been pissing me off for as long as I've known Tessa. If I hit him now there was not doubt that I would be beaten into a pulp. Tessa was the fighter, not me.

"Answer. Me. Tristan. Or you'll have to have Hardison piece you back together once I'm through with you." I had no choice, silence would get me killed, and socking him would get me in even more trouble, if that were even possible. "When you left her, she was just a little girl. She didn't know where you were, what you were doing, she just had your letters. But when those stopped she refused to think you were dead, so she just thought you had found more important things to do, more important people to write to. She felt that you had deemed her not worth the effort any more. She already had a suck life. You left her with her father which was practically the same as leaving her to herself, and to your girlfriend of sorts. Her dad was an alcoholic, and she lived with the knowledge that she meant absolutely nothing to him unless she was bringing him a beer. The lady was nice enough, but she had her own life. Tessa knew that, she hated being another burden on her shoulders. She left. She left to become someone independent, to be as strong as her brother was. She left to find you jerk! If you had just tried a little bit harder she might have been happy doing something normal! But no, she wanted to be the favorite little sister to her big brother like she used to be!"

The hand blocking my way had pulled back. I faced him, eyes burning with contempt. He looked ashamed, like he really regretted it. But it would take more than realization and a lame apology to get me to forgive him. Tessa may still be able to, but it would take a whole lot more than that bring this fellow out of the sickening light he had been cast in for so long. "The worst part is, she loves you. She loves you so much and would forgive you in an instant. She knows somewhere in that messed up little head of hers that your to blame, but she doesn't care. Maybe if you had died things would be different. No that would have broken her more, but she might have been able to heal from that, knowing you had no choice not to write. But because you're still here, she knows that you left her. You left her alone, even when you had a choice to still be a part of her life." He backed up, tripping over his feet. His head rested against the wall behind him and he stared at me. The look on his face reassured me. He knew the crap he put her through now. Tessa's gonna kill me when she finds out I told him her little sob story. But it needed to be said. And so did this. "You left her. I found her. She's started to smile again. Don't try barging to fill the position of doting brother. You lost that right when she began standing on her own to feet. She has me now, and if you hurt her in the slightest bit," My face twisted to the exit and I slung the door open. The venom of my words biting at my mouth as I uttered that last retort, "You are going to wish you _had_ died."

**Alright, sorry again it was so late an update. I feel my plot is starting to thicken, let's see what happens next. Reviews are welcomed and so is criticism. I love you all and can't wait to see what you all think.**

**Ciao-**

**-Rat**


	6. Chapter 6

Problems to fix, People to save

'So I have nothing to offer hmm? My skills aren't up to their level hmm? We'll see about that.' A crate crashed to the floor as I rummaged through the pile of junk I had stock-piled in my apartment. 'That idiot thinks just because he has the fancy headquarters and does all of the big heists that he's a flipping _genius_!' An avalanche of ammunition and bits and pieces of broken and obsolescent weapons fell to the floor at my feet. 'Sure he's older but he hasn't been an actual thief for have as long as I have. Who does he think he is?'

"I'll show him whose skills are inadequate!" Finally having found every little piece I needed I stormed off into the living room to make something out of them. Dumping it all in the floor with the tool box I had acquired from Tristan's things I crouched down and got to work. I replayed the conversation from earlier in my head.

_ "Actually, Con, It isn't that I don't trust you. It's that I have no need for what little talents I am aware of you possessing at this moment in time."_

I couldn't help but flinch as I remembered what he said. I hadn't cared a lick when I thought he just didn't trust me. I didn't trust him either so why should I expect him to trust me? No, I hadn't cared about that at all. But he had implied that I was worthless. He said that I was just some lame pickpocket, lowest rung on the ladder of the underworld. That stung. I got started in this business when I was what, ten, eleven? I had been at this way longer than him and he feels he has the right to flaunt that in practically a matter of months he had done three times as much as I've done in six or seven years.

"I don't care that he's done more than me, _I. Am. Better_. I'd like to see him cling to the rear axel of a moving truck for an hour and then clear it out with out getting caught or losing any of the loot." I needed a screw driver. Reaching into the tool box to find a Philips head I remembered a time from long ago when I was five and Eliot was still a part of my life.

_"Grab me a Philips head Tessa." _

_ "M-Kay! Wait, which ones a Philips head?" My head tilted to the side as I tried to tell the difference between the many screwdrivers laid out on the blanket we were working on. "It's the one that's not flat on the end Tessa." Oh, that made sense. I found the one Eliot needed and then brought it to him. "Thank you very much." He spoke in a funny accent, it made me giggle. "You're funny Eli. Is it done yet?" I tried to see over his shoulder but he just moved it away from my line of sight. Pouting I leaped so that I was hanging on to his broad shoulders. "I wanta seeeeeee!!!!" _

_ He chuckled and pulled me into his lap, putting his hand over my eyes to block me from seeing his our project. "Alright, calm down. We don't want your whining to wake Dad up do we?" I nodded, his hand moving up and down with my head. "Sorry, can I see it now?" Eliot flicked my head and I let out a yelp. "Fine, you win twerp." He removed his hand letting me see. I blinked for a second and then let out a soft squeal. " It's perfect! Thank you Eli! Thank you, thank you, and thank you!" I twisted around a hugged him tightly. He ruffled my hair. "No problem kiddo."_

_I pulled it into my lap. It was a pocket watch. Eliot had been working on it for two days now and it looked perfect. He had found it while he was out shopping at the flea market and was convinced it was perfect for me. It was round and on its cover was a butterfly sitting on the nose of a wolf. The silver color of the metal was worn down in certain places, making the bronze color show. It was broken when he found it so he spent the past couple of days fixing it. I absolutely loved it. _

_He ruffled my hair one more time and pulled me in to his lap. I sat quietly turning it around in my small hands. "I'm glad you like it Tessa."_

Pulled out of my reverie I looked down to realize that what was once a pile of junk had managed to transform into something useful while I wasn't looking. There was no way I had done that, even if I had had a sudden stroke of genius nothing I make ever looks that symmetrical. I blinked, only just now realizing that I had been crying.

"You were thinking about him again. Weren't you?" Tristan spoke softly, it wasn't an accusation. If anything he sounded drained. Exhausted even.

"Maybe, what's you're problem?" He stayed silent. Slowly he eased himself in to a more comfortable position on the floor in front of me and began cleaning up the excess parts he hadn't finished using. "Fine, don't answer me. Did you make this? How was it you knew what it was I was making?"

"There are only so many things you would think of making Tessa. If it isn't a bomb it's a trap or weapon of some other variety. I guessed that you were making a bomb. Guess I was right." He smiled at me crookedly, but it seemed strained. He was hiding something from me. I was not in the mood for him to be keeping secrets.

"Cut the crap Tristan, what happened after I left that has you so on edge around me?" He stiffened a little and I knew I was right. "I don't know what you are talking abou-" I cut him off. My forehead was pressed against his and my glare was at maximum capacity. "Alright you win. You left and then they didn't know why so I said Boss-dude challenged you and you went off galloping into the sunset to prepare for battle." Hmm, so far he wasn't lying. But I was certain he was leaving out some very important details seeing as nothing in what he just said would explain his cat on a hot tin roof behavior.

I raised an eyebrow and scooted further into his bubble. I watched his face turn dark red and his eyes dart up and down, left to right. "Okay, fine! Maybe your brother was getting ready to charge off on his faithful steed and rescue from your despair like you were some damsel in distress. And maybe, just maybe that pissed me off and there is the slightest of all possibilities that I yelled at him for it and told him what you've been though these past couple of years." He was practically sinking into the floor and if I'm not mistaken I'm sure he would have preferred very much if a big hole would just swallow him whole.

"So you blurted out my life story did you?" My nose was pressed against his now and his eyes were going crossed as he tried to process all that was happening. "NO! No, I didn't blurt it out. I was leaving after telling Eliot to stay put and stop trying to act all heroically. Eliot followed me and wouldn't let me leave till I explained. You know I'm not the most athletic so I kind of had no real choice. He just pissed me off so bad Tessa!"

"So I kind of snapped and yelled at him, told him that you've been though a lot of crap because of him and that he should feel so freaking lucky that he has a sister that cares for him as much as you do." His voice got fainter and fainter as he came to the end of his excuses. His dark hair falling into his eyes as he hung his head in shame.

"Who all heard you?" My tone was a mirror of his, soft and quiet. Neither of us likes to scream at one another. If we fought against each other then there was no way we could fight together.

"Just Eliot, no one else heard besides Eliot." I sighed. If Tristan said so then I would have to believe him. "Tessa I'm sorry. I know how much you care about him. And I know that you don't want him to think that you are just some little broken girl. I was trying to show him that. That you had managed through all the pain and problems he left you. I'm sorry I shared what wasn't mine. I hope you can forgive me."

That was the thing about Tristan, he wasn't some hardened criminal. He had no problem with stealing, and he had no problem with shedding a little blood or a few tears here and there. But he was also able to cry and feel sad with out feeling ashamed or weak. He was nice and people trusted him. He could lie like an actor but he didn't always like to.

Tristan was just the sweetest criminal the world has ever known, so it made it really hard to stay mad at him. "I forgive you moron. You were just trying to help." His head lifted ever so slightly so that I could see his eyes through his dark fringe. "You're right; I'm not a little girl who needs her brother to protect her anymore." _'No matter how much I've wished it was true'_ "Thank you for trying to protect me Tristan." _'I don't need Eliot to protect me anymore. I have Tristan. Tristan knows I'm not a weakling, some how I doubt that Eliot will ever realize that.'_

I lay down across my best friend, resting my head on his chest. He ran his finger through my hair. Neither one of us liked what we've fallen into. Too many memories and too many problems. But maybe we can learn to forget even if we can't forgive. Maybe if we hang on tight lean on each other we can make it through the hell we've entered of our own free will. We have to fix our problems or we'll just go on living like were nothing but a couple of misfits with messed up childhoods.

We've got to learn to move past the past, and on to a future that even if it's not bright, may be just a little bit less dim.

Sophie's heels clicked as the three who didn't go gallivanting off after the perturbed teen followed behind to see what was taking Eliot and Hardison so long. The sight they found was not one they expected.

Hardison leaned against the wall across from the door that leads to the stairs. Eliot was propped against the wall perpendicular to the door, his forehead pressed into the wallpaper. Neither looked pleased. "What happened?" Caring English tones filled the tense atmosphere. "We got told off by a teenager who probably ain't even old enough to shave, that's what happened."

Hardison pushed off from the wall and pushed past the clump off onlookers. Parker reached out to stop him but he shouldered past her, leaving a hurt look on her face. Following behind him Nate and Sophie were left to stare at the fuming Eliot. "You want to tell us what happened in a little more detail?" Nate crossed his arms and waited patiently for answers. Sophie walked up to Eliot and cautiously laid her hand on his shoulder. "Eliot?"

He twisted around and slid down the wall, resting on the floor with his legs sprawled out before him. "He said I screwed her life up. He said she's better off without me." Never before had Nathan Ford seen such a broken expression, the closest he had ever seen to that was the face he saw in the mirror the night his son had… the night he had lost his family….his little boy. "He said that she's done all of this, become a thief, a weapon to mafia bosses, he said she did all to try and be what she thought I would be proud of." Blue eyes fought back tears; his face was red as he tried to choke out the words causing him so much grief. "She thought I didn't love her, that I had forgotten about her." His eyes closed tight and he coughed; the things he was trying to say physically choking him. "He said that she has nightmares! That Tristan, he said she'd be better off without me."

"I spent my whole life working, trying to make her life better. I left to try and find a way to help her, a way to help my baby sister. I thought I could get enough cash to get her to college, to take care of our Dad. But it was all for nothing apparently. When I left, he says she thought I didn't love her anymore. I tried to write back as often as she wrote me, but I reached a time where I just couldn't anymore." He tried hard not to cry, and failed. It isn't everyday that a man hears that he's ruined his siblings life.

"Oh Eliot!" Sophie knelt and hugged him, and for the first time he didn't resist her. He let her rub his back and calm him down.

"Pull yourself together Eliot." Sophie gasped at Nathan's harsh words and spun around to retort when she caught sight of his face. Though his words were spoken coldly and bluntly, his eyes were sympathetic. They glinted with pain, like he had felt something much akin to this himself once. But Nathan wasn't going to let Eliot wallow in self pity.

"Tristan lost his temper and said whatever he could to try and make you feel miserable. Think about, he has had to live with Con hearing nothing but wonderful things about her brother, because she obviously adores you. He's had to sit through all of this while being the only one who could see that you leaving had hurt her. He probably hates you guts. Honestly I'm surprised he last this long without snapping or trying to murder you." He stepped forward so that he could meet Eliot's gaze head on, so that her could see directly the turmoil he was in.

"What you have to realize is that you can't change things. What's done is done, and as we all can clearly see, Con doesn't blame you for it. She forgives you, even if Tristan doesn't. Now that you see for yourself what you've missed it's time to decide whether or not you can forgive yourself."

Eliot stared back, realization dawning on his face. His features shifted form that of anguish to contemplation. "Whatever you decide, you still need to pull yourself together. Go have a day off or something, but we have work to do." Nathan turned to stride back to his office room. "I can't afford to have you working on anything less than perfect. You know as well as I do things never go quite as planned." His final statement muttered more to himself than the rooms other occupants.

Worriedly Sophie looked at the depressed hitter sitting on the floor before her. "Are you going to be okay?" His blue eyes blinked and he reached up to brush his hair away from his face. "I think I am, but that doesn't mean I feel any better." With a sigh he stood and left, leaving Sophie with feelings of bewilderment and exhaustion. "Boys, they always say that don't get emotional then they go off and do thing like this. Can we say in denial?" The click of her heels faded as she went to Nate's office in order to help with the preparations for the upcoming heist.

As I lay next to Tristan, the thoughts and plans I was creating in my head were swimming. There was so much I need to do in order to prepare for the big day. I have no time to be lying around enjoying the moment, relaxing and thinking about life. I need to live in the here and the now.

I moved to roll over when strong arms wrapped around me, constricting my movements. "Tristan, I need to get to work." My pleas were ignored as I was pulled into his side. If I had actually fought him I would have been able to escape, but we promised to avoid fighting as much as possible.

"No, you don't. Can't you just forgive him? You know as well as I do that he didn't intentionally challenge you." Wriggling around I managed to face him so that I could glare up through his bangs. He blew upwards, making his hair float towards his forehead just long enough for me to see that he knew what he was asking was a lost cause.

"Alright fine. Do this yourself. But promise me that if you need me you'll ask me for help." It wasn't a question, it was an order. But I owed him this much I suppose. "You worry too much. But fine, I'll keep it in mind." He nodded, a small content smile on his face. Pushing up off of the ground I made another attempt to get to work, only to have my attempts thwarted once again. With an exasperated sigh I head butted Tristan's shoulder in annoyance.

"Relax for a minute Tessa. The world isn't going to go to pieces if you don't hit the ground running just this once." Normally I would have protested, slapped him upside the head, and gotten to work while muttering about his unhealthy lazy attitude. Normally my day would have been a whole different kind of hectic, with broken faces instead of wounded egos. But today had been far from the normal I had grown used to, and I was all to willing to relax into his arms, strong for a computer geek, and let his horribly off tune humming lull me into dreamland for a much deserved nap.

I guess I can start fixing problems in an hour or two….

**Alright, saying I'm sorry for the late update doesn't seen suitable, but it's the best I can do. So…….**

**I AM SO SORRY!**

**Okay, now I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I apologize for all of the emo, depressing, angsty parts. **

**Things will get more exciting soon, promise (kinda)**

**Lots of love and hope for reviews!**

**-Rat**


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologize for the lateness! I have no excuse…. At least nothing worth repeating. I used my last good ones last week. Aparently 'I was abducted by ice cream men' only works once. Oh well. I have recently realized I forgot to put my disclaimer up on my more recent chapters. To make up for that:**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT FOR CON, TRISTAN, AND THE EVIL DOERS!!!!!!!!!!**

**Please forgive me! Thank you all who reviewed and favorited "I Guess It Runs In the Family'!**

**I will try and update more frequently put no promises. **

Plans take action

"Nate, we're at the front gate. The fake invite worked like a charm." Eliot led Sophie through the doors into the well lit party room. "Woah, this is pretty fancy, very feminine." The jibe at Morgans's masculinity was not lost in transition over the headset and Hardison had to cough to cover a chuckle. Nathan's voice carried over Sophie and Eliot's headsets almost as if he were standing not three feet in front of them instead of a good several miles away at Leverage HQ. "Yes, it seems Morgans's girlfriend was in charge of decorating." Hardison clicked several keys on his keyboard and pulled up Mr. Morgans's personal finances. "Looks as if she charged most everything, the girl has got to be a little trigger happy with the Visa."

"She has good taste, sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot." Sophie commented on the females design taste while ignoring the look Eliot shot her. No doubt he was doing what most men spent years of their life doing, attempting to fathom the inner workings of the female mind.

"Incoming. There's Jason Doyle, he's in charge of finances and any and everything involving money. Legal or not, he's Morgans's right hand man. The light haired man approaching the two couldn't have been more than thirty. His eyes narrowed in on Eliot, and the gap between them was quickly overcome.

"Ah, yes. Hello! I am terribly sorry but it is my job to converse all of our newest potential business partners, your name however seems to have slipped my mind." His eyes roamed up and down Sophie, causing Nate to clench the desk he was sitting at a little tighter than necessary in Hardison's opinion.

"Stick to the plan, make friends and play nice Sophie. You've dealt with pigs before, just try and keep him busy. We need him to stay away from the office for as long as possible." Several rapid fire clicks and Hardison had another window open on his monitors. "You'll want to find his brother too, Morgans hired the two together, Jason as his Chief of Finances, Sean as his Chief of Security."

With an imperceptible and nearly unnoticeable nod that would not have been noticed unless you were actually watching for one, the con had begun.

"Oh, don't you worry sugar! We got our invitations last minute.I'm Caroline Matthews and this is my man Carson Matthews." A warm southern accent overtook Sophie's usually crisp British tones. "We weren't even sure if we were going to be attending, but we've heard wonderful things about Mr. Morgans work and facilities and my man here was just dying to see for himself." Curling her arms around Eliot's own well muscled appendages she gave a flirtatious wink towards Jason.

"I don't know about dying, but I can't say I'm not interested." Eliot's own accent flowed fluidly, adding substance to the con. Jason's lips turned up at the corners, his features taking the form of a hungry fox having just caught scent of a three course meal on a silver platter.

"Ah, yes I see. Well I can assure you that we are one of the foremost members of our field. We are the second best in Unites States, but that is merely because we are a newer business. Give us a month or two and we will be number one without a doubt."

He sidled up next to the posing couple and began to lead them away to do his best to empty their bank accounts and pockets while keeping the friendly business like smile on his face.

"Good, things are going great. Keep him smiling but don't promise any money. We just want to try and get all kinds of attention on you two so as to keep as much attention away from the security screens around the HQ." Nathan nodded to himself after his piece was spoken. He spun around in his swivel chair and scanned his own HQ.

Nothing seemed out of place, Hardison was busy clicking at his keyboard and surfing for dirt on the target. On the screen nearest to him a blonde haired thief was playing with her own button cam, skulking around the perimeter of the factory waiting for the go ahead to make her foray into enemy territory. The room was dimly lit but nothing else seemed off, except for the extra dark form in the farthest corner that for the longest time had not registered at all to Nathan.

"Are you going to stand back there all night Tristan?" The figure moved ever so slightly and then a soft sigh escaped from his corner. Nathan swung back around to face his own section of the monitors; the brief conversation hadn't been noticed by Hardison in the slightest.

Tristan sulked towards Nate, downcast about having been discovered. Out of the Corner of his eye Nathan watched as the sullen teen's mood did a 180 and a sly grin pulled at his lips. Padding across the floor like an alley cat, making next to no noise while doing it, he snuck up behind his 'dear uncle'.

"HARDISON!" The out cry startled even Nate who had been bracing himself for it the whole time. What it did to Hardison however was more than cause a slight jump, with a yelp he swung his arms up and around attempting to smack down whatever the hell had snuck up on him while he had zoned out into the virtual world. Luckily for Tristan living with Con ha trained him to duck and he had escaped with only his hair being slightly ruffled.

"What the HELL? Where did you come from?" Hardison was gripping onto his desk trying his hardest to stay upright. "Well, uncle, if you would really like to know I am sure there is a class or something you could take. I had always thought they taught sex ed when you were in school but since I'm wrong I'm sure they offer those kinds of classes at the local YM-" This time however he wasn't able to duck quite fast enough and gained a slap upside the head.

"You know what I mean. Stupid genius brats always thinking they need to be a smart aleck." Grumbling Hardison abandoned his questions and returned to his computing.

Tristan chuckled and slapped him on the back with a quick apology. "Sorry man, I was taking out my boredom out on you. Tessa's decided to do this thing on her own and refuses to let me help." Now it was Tristan's turn to start grumbling. "She kicked me out of the apartment because I was apparently 'underfoot'? What is that supposed to mean? A man can't offer to go buy her some more soldering wire without trying to 'meddle into her affairs and ruin her pay back for that arrogant old egotistical little-" Tristan caught himself and flushed ever so slightly as he glanced at Nate whose eyebrows had been inching further up as his title had become even more colorful.

"He-he, well you get the picture, I decided to let her have some space." For a second all three of them men nodded to themselves and stared at the screens and watched the Doyle fellow pile blandishments upon blandishments in order to try and cajole moula from Eliot and Sophie.

"Whipped." With a start heads swiveled towards the screen that had previously shown the factory. Parker had picked up the button cam and was now smirking at the camera. "You are so totally whipped dude."

Tristan choked on the air he had been breathing and coughed. Whilst he was trying to gain enough oxygen to defend himself Hardison cut in.

"Nah, he ain't whipped. To be whipped you have to have first been something that needed to be broken. Tristan here has always been a pansy. Not once can I remember a girl that hasn't had him wrapped around her little fingers."

Parker's grin turned from mocking to appraisingly mocking. Not much of an improvement for Tristan. "Oh is that so? Is Con the worst he's had or not then?"

"Oh definitely not! There was this one girl who would call him every morning and pick out what he was going to wear that day so that they could match just like every perfect couple should. God I hated her."

"You aren't the only one! The only reason I put up with that was because she was my teacher's daughter and he was very protective. It was either let her dress me up like one of those little prissy Chihuahuas or fail the semester." Tristan pointed a finger dramatically at the screen Parker had taken over in order to tease the poor boy. "And I am _**not **_whipped!"

Nathan leaned over the arm of his swivel chair in order to stage whisper towards Tristan, "You do know that she can't see you, right?" Embarrassed that he had gotten so worked up Tristan quickly dropped the hand and folded his arms in front of his chest. "I knew that." He muttered more to himself than the others. Snickers from his uncle, Parker, and Nathan were poorly masked by coughs and it took a moment or two to bring the room back under control.

"As hilarious as this all is, do you mind telling exactly why you are here Tristan? I understand that you've been kicked out but why did you choose to come here of all places?" Cooling off from the heckling Tristan settled into one of the remaining chairs and propped his feet up on the table. He turned to face Nathan, a smile on his face that was not at all the kind of good natured grin a boy of his age should have, it was darker, masking cynicism far to well practiced for one so young.

"Well it was either come here or go to Candy Mountain. And because I went to Candy Mountain last time Tessa needed a break I thought I would come play with my favorite uncle and his friends. I was going to bring snacks but it turns out that cashiers don't take monopoly money. The whole world just seems to enjoy raining on my parade."

A dark chuckle was pulled from Nathan, accompanied of course by his in-charge-of-the-situation-look that was spelling out rather pointedly, 'funny-ha-ha-now-cut-the-crap-son'.

"Fine, fine, don't give me that stare I can't stand it. You and Tessa have got to be related. Two people so full of authority, stubbornness, and glaring skills of that magnitude can not possibly have absolutely no relation to one another."

Putting all joking aside Tristan settled in, boredom taking over his formerly jovial features. "I was bored. Tessa's doing all of this by herself and not letting me help at all. We always share toys, and ever since she decided to come here she's been so consumed with doing better than anything and everyone having to do with Eliot that she won't play with _me_ anymore." He pouted, and his eyebrows were pulled together showing his irritation. With another sigh he lifted his head to the two not quite gentlemen in front of him. With his bangs falling into his eyes they almost missed the mischievous glint sparkling in his dark orbs. Almost, but not quite.

"It _irks _me, and because I have nothing better to do and no where more entertaining to go I have decided to _irk_ you. Seeing that it is indeed your fault it only seems fair that you shall be the one to receive the forms of torture I specialize in. Tessa's version has always seemed to straight forward for my tastes." Smugly he laced his fingers behind his head, the picture of ease. His grin let his ever so slight sadism seep out into the room, causing Hardison to twitch with the cold aura sending shivers down his spine.

"I prefer psychological torture." Hardison stared at his sick minded nephew.

"You have got so many issues, you make Parker seem normal. You and Con need to go to some kind of therapy for demented teenagers." Nathan brought his attention back to Eliot and Sophie, his chair squeaking with the sudden turn. "Yes well, we all should probably go, we could probably get a discount for a group therapy session."

"I don't like therapists, they scare me." Parker interjected her opinion on the matter with an air of mystery to it. Tristan pursed his lips in thought. "One day you and I are going to have to have a chat Parker, somehow I feel that you have got some interesting stories to tell." Far off at the factory it was Parker's turn to twitch. "I doubt that they would be that interesting, and you scare me too kiddo. A lot."

Tristan grinned at the recognition of his frightening abilities but was not allowed to respond, for at that moment another player had showed up on Eliot and Sophie's monitor screen, flanked by a man who looked very much like Jason, except for the fact that his hair slightly darker and his build somewhat stockier. No doubt that this was Sean, Morgans's head of security. The other man was definitely not one who was low on the corporate ladder however. He carried himself in a whole other kind of creepy, much like an alpha wolf with his dark blue eyes on a huge ole chunk of meat.

"Hello there, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews. It is a pleasure to meet such fine people who have such wonderful taste. I am looking forward to making the two of you some of our most valued members of the Morgans Motor family."

Mr. Jonathan Morgans had come with his Chief of Security to examine the credibility and most likely the credit of the newest and freshest meat. By the look in his eyes he was just waiting to sink his teeth in, to either enjoy the spoils of a new customer, or to rip the throats out of low class wanabes who had bit off more than they could chew.

"No turning back now. Eliot, Sophie, do your stuff. Parker, it's time to get to work." With a yippe from Parker and a charming smile from Sophie the time for quick thinking and fast action had arrived.

"Let the games begin." Tristan chuckled darkly and began to hum a tune he heard passing a carnival one day. In the silence that comes before every storm the eerie music only added to the excitement. The games had begun.

**Again so sorry for the late update…..**

**Please review and comment! Lots of love from me to you!**

**With your help I annoy my family immensely by bragging about your loving (and even your not so loving reviews)**

**I try and take all opinion into accounts and love to hear to what ever you have to say no matter how degrading!**

**Adios!**

**-Rat**


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N): Okay, I am so sorry I am so behind but one can only do when writer's block takes control. I hope you enjoy this chapter I've been working at it for quite a while. **

**Onward to the newest update, I'd love to hear what you think of it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the bad guys and my guys (Aka: Tristan and Con)**

**And away we go…**

****

Think Fast or Fall Hard

Slinking through the shadows of the quickly coming night, a predator was preparing to pounce. Slowly she stalked towards her prey. The dark figure towering over her seemed to almost shiver in anticipation for its challenger. The dark blue of the evening made the glow of the nearby streetlights seem equally sinister. The predator's teeth were bared in a mischievous grin, the challenge had been accepted. She crept closer, blending in with the nightlife as just another natural part of the nightly rituals. Coming to the door of the strong hold, bracing herself for the act of a purely criminal entry…her stealthy mission was put on hold.

"Crap." Parker blew a stray strand of blonde hair that had escaped from her cap up into the air in frustration. Over her radio she heard Hardison grumble sounding very close to starting another one of his rants. "What are you saying 'crap' for this time? Do you know how much I hate that word? Every time one of you says that word I have a new problem to fix!"

A rebuke could barely be heard by Parker over the feed, but it sounded very much like a slap from Nate to Hardison. Giggling, Parker tried to compose herself for the explanation. "They updated the security very recently; it used to just be a pin number, now it's a card swipe, plus a pin number. In other words I either need to call Geeks-R-Us to hire a hacker worth his weight in gold or I need to magically acquire an ID card."

Though she couldn't see the insulted look Hardison was giving her she could feel it as if he was not three feet in front of her. "You think some lame security device is going to stop me? That hurts Parker. Right in the heart." His last words laced with a lethal dose of sarcasm, he furiously tapped at his keyboard. "Describe the system to me."

"What ever you say oh' master hacker." Parker rattled off the information giving the minutest of details so as to be helpful, because no matter how much she teased she was rather fond of the hacker.

"Got it." "What do you mean you 'got it'? I gave you the info not two minutes ago?" Parker cringed at the sound of her own voice in the darkness. She hadn't meant to say that as loud as she had. "I mean that I have the over ride code they use in case of an accidental lockout. I can give it to you now, or if you are gong to start doubting my master skills you can just cut a hole inside of the door and not use my code."

Parker clenched her fists around the rail next to the door. Maybe she wasn't as fond of him as she had thought she was. Apparently she was not alone with these particular feelings as both Parker and Nate synchronized. "Give up the damn code Hardison!" "And quit being an ass." Parker tacked that on quietly just so that the point was clearly made. "Fine, here I go, 3-8-9-2-6-3-0-5-1-7 then hit pound, then enter." Following his instructions Parker was met by a chipper beep and a green light on the keypad. "Much better, now I can go back to burgling."

Away in the tower poor Hardison sat feeling unappreciated and used, he sighed in defeat and was just about to drearily resume his task of surveillance when his ears were greeted with a once and a lifetime opportunity. "Thanks Hardison, and no I am only going to say that once." But the one piece of gratitude offered up from the mysterious, mischievous, and manically insane blonde was enough to lift his spirits so as to be able to continue his tasks with little to no grumbling.

Sophie surveyed the man before her. He was obviously high class, and by the looks of the men on either side of him he was very confident in his staff. _I can definitely use that against him later._ He had a blonde draped across his arm, no doubt the girlfriend who had designed this elaborate benefit. She looked like the type that had spent her whole life coasting on her looks, not a single light seemed to be on upstairs.

"It is nice to see people are interested in my business, and such pretty ones at that." He flirted shamelessly with Sophie, his eyes darting up and down her figure. Eliot laughed heartily and reached over to grab Sophie's hand. "Oh, I don't think I'd call myself pretty, but I can't blame you for thinking so." _Perfect, playing the proud husband, but still keeping up a full of himself attitude. I was worried playing someone so ritzy would be hard for Eliot, but he seems to be doing fairly well. _

Morgans took the joke in stride and laughed heartily along with Eliot. "A man with good humor, I like that. You have good taste in women as well as cars my friend." They shook hands and introductions were made, Eliot grasping his hand firmly while smiling as brightly as possible. With a conspiratorial wink they both took a seat down at the table.

"I hear you are interested in my business. Have you had any dealings with us before?" Eliot and Sophie pretended to cuddle and talk in a couple-y fashion while Hardison fed them their lines. Sophie laughed in a ridiculously high pitch and made a conspiratorial gesture of her own towards the girlfriend. "Oh, men are always so quick to get right down to business. Especially when it involves their cars. Don't you think so Sugar?" The bubble headed blonde who was most likely leeching away Morgans life force and 'pocket change' as we spoke giggled nodded as she ran her hands across Morgans shoulders.

Eliot coughed shot Sophie a glare as surreptitiously as possible. Over their head sets Nathan began chastising them, "Play nice. I know the two of you are not each other's favorite people in the world. Tonight you are going to act like it though. It's better we beat this before Con does Eliot, otherwise someone could get hurt." That cut off any antics Eliot might have been planning. Sophie settled down into to clinging to his shoulder and flirting with the waiters as the real negotiations began.

"Yes, I'm rather interested in your company. As to having been involved, my cousin is in charge of some of the financials for some of your more prominent customers. He was quite satisfied with your services and recommended you. I hope he wasn't just trying to get me to waste another hundred thousand or better on another dead end business again."

At the mention of 'hundred thousand or better' Mr. Morgans' eyes widened obviously enough for Sophie. _He's taking the bait..._ "I can assure you Mr. Matthews that we are much better than whatever dead end company wasted your precious income in the past." He smiled his wolfish business man smile and it was clear they had become his newest personal targets. "Would you consider coming with me upstairs to have a more private business conversation? We could always wait if you prefer but I like to get the ball rolling when it comes to this sort of thing." He stood up and his blonde pet followed. His lackey who had stood at his side throughout the entire exchange flanked him as his brother showed up not moments after the conversation had drifted towards more financial manners. Morgans motioned towards the elevators.

Eliot stood with Sophie not far behind. "I would love to, would you mind terribly if I let the Missus enjoy your party though?" He pat Sophie's hand affectionately. Back in the tower all who were present were trying very hard not to gag. "She's never been all that fond of business." Morgans scanned her one last time over before nodding his approval. "It's probably for the best. I can see you have the potential to be a prime investor Mr. Matthews. Sophie, would you mind." The entire crew froze in fear at the sound of that name. It took the all a moment to realize he had been speaking to his girlfriend who had moved to take Sophie's arm and lead her away into the fray of the party.

Having hailed an elevator the men piled in. it was crowded and their was no clear exit point, if it hadn't been for his years of practice and experience Eliot would have been wondering what he had gotten himself into.

In Con's apartment she was putting the finishing touches on her newest object of entertainment and mayhem. Spread out around her was scrap pieces and blueprints. She had a map of the Morgan's HQ pinned up against her wall. Other pins of varying colors had been pinned in along entrances and on security cameras. This was much more planning than Con was used to doing. Sure she normally had a plan and had seen the schematics of her target before hand, but she normally left the planning to those who hired her and went with her failsafe whenever things went ary.

Tristan got mad at her quite often because of that too because her failsafe was normally 'lets wing it and if it comes down to it blow something up or knock someone out.' He was fine when he was there with her, but he never did well on the sidelines. Even now he had been visibly itching to get himself involved in her planning process. _He cares just a little too much sometimes._

This was something Con had to do, and by god she was going to do it right. Her plan laid out, her bags packed, and a text to Tristan sent, she made her way out the door. Whether or not things would go anything like she planned was a factor Con was more than happy to leave up to fate. Pulling her hoodie close around her she locked the door behind her.

Leverage HQ, a fortress made by the best, to prevent an attack from the best. Too bad they hadn't planned for this kind of attack. The siblings of their core members had already broken past their barriers in one way, now they were coming at them from other directions.

A series of cheery beeps from Tristan's pocket diverted attention from the event unfolding on Nathan and Hardison's monitors to the younger evil genius. He flipped open the phone and scanned the message. "What's it say?" Hardison raised an inquisitive brow from his spot amongst the surrounding tech.

"I've won a million dollars and Tessa is pregnant." Eliot could be seen and heard coughing violently at those words.

"Tristan-"

"It's a boy."

"Now isn't the time for games-"

"She wants to name him William, but I'm more of a Jasper fan."

"Tristan!" Hardison snapped. The teenager hadn't removed his eyes from the screen and his face was still set in the same dark expression it had been in when he first received it. Nathan walked over and easily pried the phone from his hands. Tristan seemed lost in thought despite his sarcastic banter. As Nathan scanned the text he groaned softly.

"Parker, be on the look out for interference on your end. Con's on the move." Parker nodded to herself as she skulked through the dark hallways. "Parker? Did you hear me?" It was only then she remembered that Nate couldn't see her. "Got it. Look out for creepy kiddo numero dos."

"Too late." Parker was tackled to the floor and had the bag she had been carrying snatched from her grasp. Rolling to her feet she saw the small form of Eliot's little sister framed in the shadows. Parkers bad slung over her shoulder she stood in Parker's way with half of her supplies in her possession. "Nothing personal Parker. You can even come help if you want, but we do things my way." Parker stood dumbfounded. People weren't supposed to be able to jump her like that. She had trained for years to be as good as she was and this girl snatched away the tools of her trade by brute force in moments.

Nathan and the rest of the members watched the screed with slack jaws. Nathan composed himself long enough to give Parker her orders. "It's alright Parker, she's in charge of the situation now. Just do as she says." He wasn't all that happy to say that but their was nothing else he could do at the moment. Parker sighed and slumped in defeat. "Your pretty good kiddo." Con kept her distance and motioned Parker to hand over the headset. Parker growled but did it nonetheless. She was Eliot's sister after all. No one knew what kind heat she could be packing .Once the headset was firmly placed in her ears she smiled. "I'm sorry Parker, business is business. Hello Nate and co. I do hope I'm not ruining your own con too badly. But I'll get out of your hair before to long. Hardison, please make sure Tristan doesn't do anything too stupid, I can't have to be worrying about him and you all." Nathan Ford was not used to being out played by a teenager and wasn't the type to take this sort of thing lying down.

"Con, you are going to get hurt. Going in with no back up into a place like this when there is another team already casing it is just asking for trouble. You're not stupid. You know that already. Why are you doing this? It can't just be because you want to prove me wrong about your skills." Tristan moved from his seat to stand close to the screen Parker's escapades were playing out on. He watched Con's every move as she shifted from foot to foot.

"Yes, it isn't just to prove you're sorry ass wrong Nathan Ford. I have other business here that needs taking care of. I promise to do my best to stay out of your hair and I trust you'll do the same. Please don't try and be all kind caring adult figure and interfere. I hate it when people try that stuff with me. I'll see you all when my pockets are full. Ciao. OH and Tristan. If you try to move an inch from that room I promise you'll regret it buddy." With that her connection was severed. She tossed the ear wig at Parker along with a smaller form of the bomb Tristan used in his first appearance. Instead of flour it was dark graphite and would have shown up as a light bulb flickering if she had thrown it in a hallway with a camera.

Con was gone, leaving nothing but a dusty Parker in her wake. "Well, this throws a monkey wrench in our plans. Parker, can you do what you came here for with out your bag?" Parker scoffed. "Of course, it'll just take me twice as long with some of the beefier security. I'll get back to work." Parker made her way down the hallway towards her destination. The crew all sighed at the newest development. "That's a real piece of work you've got their Tristan. She may be worse than the little miss priss that made you her personal Ken doll." Hardison shook his head as he hacked into the security cameras looking for any sign of the girl.

"No, she's much better. She just needs to get her head straight. She doesn't think you all trust her, and part of her doesn't blame you one bit. I wouldn't blame you one bit." Tristan turned to glare at Nate. "You doubted her, and no matter what she says, she's trying to prove it to you that she has the skill is takes to be better than you all." Tristan sighed and directed his attention to the screen that showed Eliot and their latest target settling down around a table to discuss business. "She just wants to prove she can handle any situation, anything you throw at her she wants to be able to do better than you. She's been like that for as long as I've known her. If she can do it, she wants to be the best she can be at it."

Tristan settled back into his chair and watched as things unfolded. Nate watched him relax and stretch out. "You're just going to sit here why she goes on a suicide mission?" Tristan looked up through half lidded eyes. "Yes, I am. She doesn't want me to help so I won't. She'll get out before she kills herself." With that he closed the conversation.

Nate shook his head. These kids where too much for him. International thieves he could figure out, teenage international thieves and he was at a loss for words. "All right. Let's get back to work, every one keep your eyes peeled. Sophie, stay on alert, if things start going badly your on distraction duty." With their eyes peeled they returned to the con, letting themselves become derailed over a sibling could get more than just the one of them killed.

Con prowled, seconds behind Parker in every move. In truth she had only bothered to study the main blueprint of the building, but she was certain that Parker had the entire thing memorized, security cameras and systems that only Hardison could find and notice would be clearly placed to her. Watching her movements Con had pretty good idea how to avoid them herself.

When she had detonated her graphite bomb she had only used it to gain cover for herself long enough to wait for Parker to start moving again. Picking locks and breaking past security systems in a stealthy manner had never been her strong suit, so Con had planned around that.

_I'll just follow Parker and be home free._ And that seemed to be exactly what was happening. Parker led her through the hallways, past the cameras and the motion sensors. Con copied her movements to the letter, shadowing her in every aspect. It wasn't long before they came to the main security room. Things looked clear as could be.

Parker stepped forward and easily made her way past the security. She swung open the door and inside was the office of one Mr. Morgans. Behind his desk was a rather large vault that seemed to be just a little bit oversized. Parker stepped through the door only to have a gun pressed against her temple. "Don't move. Put your hands up." Parker slowly lifted her hands as another gun could be seen moving around towards her front side. Apparently Mr. Morgans was more security conscience that he let on. Parker was beckoned further into the room. It appeared to only be the two men who where posted as Morgans personal security. One man reached inside his jacket for what Parker assumed to be a walkie talkie. She was planning out a way to disarm them with as little damage done as possible when the unthinkable happened.

"Mommy! Mommy! It's so scary in here!" The two armed guards let their guard down when they heard the voice of a scared child. It wasn't anything they had trained for and caught them completely off guard. One of them pulled Parker further into the room and another stepped out into the hallway. "What the-" He never got to finish his statement as the hilt of a sturdy knife was brought down onto his head. Con had hopped onto his back and she rode his falling unconscious form all the way to the floor only to roll off out of sight to the man inside.

The other man kept his gun trained closely of Parker, his barrel pressed firmly against her forehead. His eyes glanced out into the hallway just long enough to catch sight of a teen age girl step out from around the corner, sliding into the room with an ease and control of a lithe panther completely at home with her surroundings. He moved his gun to follow her but he hesitated. He had only been hired to guard and all in all was not a bad person. But that hesitation at the sight of a young girl was exactly the thing that Con had been gambling on. In seconds he was disarmed and on the floor like his partner.

"Now Parker, don't tell me you went into this entire building without any backup whatsoever?" I flipped out a knife began checking the K.' guards. "Definitely Eliot's sister." At that I grinned and stole their weapons and walkie talkies. Tugging the bodies into a corner of Morgan's office I searched for something to tie them up with. A pair of cable ties was wagged over my shoulder. "Thank you Parker."

She grumbled and got to work on her safe. I stood guard at the door checking the hallway before locking the door up and examining the room further. Parker hollered and I jumped over Morgan's desk to get to her. She handed me a small clear box and I opened it to find a spare earphone. Feeling stupid I plugged it into my ear in time for Nate to start reprimanding me.

"Though we do appreciate you rescuing Parker, doing so in such a manner could have gotten either you or her killed. Think of what Eliot would have done if you had gotten hurt, our entire cover would have blown." By now I was tuning him out, reading the files I could see from over Parker's shoulders. She was opening files, scanning them, and then putting them back. It was as if we had never been here, except for the unconscious guards in the man's office closets.

"You do have better toys than me. I must say I'm jealous." Parker grinned and I knew I would be forgiven eventually for messing up her game plan. "Hardison is good for something after all. We chuckled and hunkered down to wait for the next phase of the plan.

"She's ignoring me. Eliot, you are going to have to talk with her about this when this is all over." Nate's complaints fell on deaf ears as Eliot had been trying is best to block out anything that wasn't vital like 'run for your life' or 'duck there's a bomb heading your way'. It was best that he focused on the grift at hand before he got caught red handed. It was hard enough with Hardison complaining about being underappreciated.

Morgan's smiled his wolfish grin. "Mr. Matthews, I can see you will make the perfect business partner." The two of them had been talking for almost and hour and by now had gotten on very good terms. "I hope you'll consider investing in my humble business." Eliot chuckled in a good natured fashion. "I really do like your company Mr. Morgans, I just don't know if it's right for me just yet." He was trying to keep his commitment as far away from him as possible while still staying on his good side. Unfortunately Morgans was very persistent.

"Well, I know the perfect way to be sure of yourself. Why don't you come with me and check out my base of operations? It will only take a little bit; we can be back before the party is over." The predatory gleam danced in his eyes and made Eliot want to start throwing punches left and right. He restrained himself and managed to mutter low enough for Nate to hear. "What do I do now? This wasn't in the plan."

It hadn't been, but improvising was the biggest part of this business. "We do what he wants. Every one get ready, it's time to kick things up a notch." Nathan Ford stood his eyes steely as a plan to take down this immoral millionaire unfolded. "Here's what we're going to do…"

**(A/N): Again, sorry won't cut it, but it's the best I can do. I hope you liked this chapter and I would love to hear your feed back. **

**Lots of Love from Me to You,**

**-Rat**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N): Alright, If anyone still reads this then I am so sorry for the lateness with which I have updated. I was having serious writers block and was running low on steam for this story, but I have a friend with a very heavy saxophone who has requested that I update. So for the sake of maintaining my pallid complexion without having it marred by black and blue saxophone sized bruises, I am going to attempt, no promises of course, but attempt to update in a timely fashion.**

**Disclaimer: All I own is Con, Tristan, and the bad guys, and no you can't have him. Tristan is all mine.**

Zoom-zoom, boom-boom.

"What do you say Mr. Matthews? Shall we go for a ride?" Morgans smile was cheery, but you could see the anticipation of the score in his eyes. "I'd like that very much." Eliot laughed with him as Morgans grasped his shoulder companionably and led him to the elevator. "I'm glad Mr. Matthews, I'm glad to hear that."

Sophie prowled about the gala, the other Sophie clinging to her arm as they giggled like two trophy wives were known to do. "So, Sophie, what is your boyfriend like? He seems like quite the catch…" Sophie bumped her arm playfully. The woman giggled. "Oh, Caroline! But you are right. He is just perfect! Sweet, rich, handsome, and he doesn't mind letting me dip into his funds for my own needs if you know what I mean." She smiled and Sophie nodded along. "I'm so jealous. I even mention the word shopping or that I want new shoes and my man locks up so tight you'd need a jackhammer to get into his wallet."

The two women waltzed over to the refreshment table, grabbing a drink before claiming a table of their own. They had spent the last half hour schmoozing and it was now time to gossip. "Oh, Jonathan isn't like that at all. I mean, I don't spend all of my time shopping so he doesn't mind allowing me to use his money. Actually he supports my little pet projects full force. He better too, if he ever plans on me letting our engagement go public." Over her headset Sophie heard Hardison growl. "They were engaged? Nothing said that. How the hell am I supposed to know they're engaged when the man doesn't even bother to spend millions on a diamond the size of a grapefruit like the rest of them rich fruitcakes. You're on your own Sophie."

Flipping her hair over her ear Sophie, well, Caroline smiled wide and let out a poorly hushed squeal. "Engaged! That's wonderful sweetie! Where's the ring?" Sophie smiled and it began to occur to the grifter that this girl wasn't nearly as ditzy as first appearances led her to believe. "Oh, I won't let him go public with it until he finishes his work on the new factory. We've been having some issues with the management we put in charge over there and things keep falling apart. He wants everything to be perfect so I don't get my ring until he gets things settled so he can properly tell the world himself I'm his." The blush on her cheeks made it hard for Sophie not to scream. The poor girl had to go and fall in love with a murderer. Your heart couldn't help but go out for her. "That's lovely darling. Though I am curious, what on earth did you mean by 'pet projects'?" Sophie leaned in, tracing her finger along the top of her wine glass. Hers was still two thirds full, while the other girl was nearly done with hers. "Oh! Yes, I have been playing with certain ideas of mine. I figured it would be fun to run a charity. Jonathan has been funding my attempts at a children's center." Her cheery smile faltered a little bit. Sophie of course picked up on that immediately. "That's sounds like a lovely idea sugar! Maybe I should start one of my own, but you look a little down in the dumps. Is something the matter?"

The other Sophie snapped up, "What do you mean? Oh, no nothings wrong. It's just," She bit her lip as she looked out over the party. "It's just that Jonathan said he's been having trouble with the moving the funds around for me. I think something might be off in his accounts but he hasn't said anything about it." She threw her hands up in the air in mild defeat before laughing. "I doubt it's anything at all though. Why don't we go finish mingling? I need a friend to help keep me from knocking back anymore of this delicious beverage." Giggling in a slightly tipsy fashion she motioned towards her empty wine glass that Sophie was fairly sure was not her first. "Of course sweetie, let's go party!" The supposed trophy wife and trophy wife to be sauntered off latched at the hip as they talked like school girls.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Okay Parker, Con. We have about fifteen minutes before they show up unless Sophie can buy us some more time, hurry up and finish getting the files then move." Nathan's voice was the only sound besides the rustling of papers in my ears as we piddled about in the room. The unconscious security guards in the closet of the back room groaned in his sleep. "Oh shut up. That's what you get for hitting a girl." I griped as I put files back that Parker was finished with. Parker snorted and snapped another picture.

"Hey Con, why did you help me back there?" Parker asked as I dropped another set of papers onto the desk. "Because, I hate cleaning up blood and it would have been hard to make it look like nothing happened here if the carpet was stained red." She rolled her eyes. "Liar." I pulled the stack of files away and switched them for new ones. "Fine, I give. I hate remembering maps, and I figured you had better copies than me."

Nate took then to intrude in our peace again. "So you were hoping to follow her out of the building without being spotted while you took all of the files we stole as well." Before I could respond I heard Tristan laugh loudly in the background. "Are you kidding Nathan? That's not how Con works. She had Parker's tools, had a head start, and who was it who made it to Morgans' office first?" He laughed again and I watched as realization began to dawn on Parker's face as I plopped another stack of papers before her rather unceremoniously.

"Tessa, you were cheating again weren't you sweetie?" Tristan teased. "Of course, it's what I do. One of the many nicknames the pathetic police forces around the country gave me was 'Cheat' wasn't it?" Hardison piped up from his spot of technical glory. "I'm lost, you want to fill me in." Back in HQ Tristan rolled his eyes and moved to pat Hardison's shoulder sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I forgot to think of the old folks. Let me explain. Tessa stole Parker's stuff, and then she detonated a graphite bomb to disorientate her and make it easy to disappear. You with me so far Uncle?" He barely dodged a head slap before continuing. "Okay, so instead of getting ahead of Parker, she get's behind her. Then, cause Tessa hates maps and knows you have the whole place mapped including cameras, motion sensors, etc. she just follows Parker playing monkey see-monkey do."

From her spot behind Morgans' desk Parker glared lightly at me as she handed her the last file. "You used me." I smiled. "Duh." Putting the last of the files exactly where they found them I made my way to the guards. "Why ignore valuable assets when I have them at my disposal?" Tilting my head at the collapsed guards before me an idea sparked in my head. "Tristan."

"Yeah babe? You sound like you've got something." I smiled as an idea began turning the wheels in my head. "I do, can you get to work? I'll apologize for neglecting you later" I couldn't see it, but I felt his smile.

Tristan snapped to work at the sound of his ladies call. "Now let's see about getting back in the game." Jumping up and hoping back to his previous corner he grabbed his phone from its discarded spot on the 'altar' as Con called it and pulled an iTouch out of his pocket. Hardison spun around in his chair, watching his nephew as he stalked back and forth in his corner. "What are you doing?" Tristan didn't even bother to answer, he let the spare monitor Hardison had had pulled up blink before switching to a black and white picture of Con sleeping. "Oops, my bad. Forgot that was my background." Hardison twitched and growled in his seat. "You hacked me? You really hacked me without setting off my alarms? You better watch your self boy or I'm going to have to teach you some manners. Think you can waltz in here and use my equipment with out asking…" He grumbled and Tristan chuckled.

"I didn't hack it without setting off your alarms; I just sort of put them on a snooze timer. Check back in an hour or two if you want to make sure. Now if you'll excuse me Uncle dearest, I have work to do." Setting the touch screen aside he switched his attention to his phone and pulled off the back cover. Inside was two small bug like devices. Taking one out and attaching it to the touch screen, he placed the other in his ear. On the monitor he had 'liberated' from Hardison a box popped up asking him to confirm an action. "Yes I want to click the big fancy button. No I don't want to think this through again. Just dial her already." A light beeping sound was heard and the others in the room strained to hear what was going on. Nate watched Con on the video feed they had pulled up. She had taken out the ear bud Parker had given her and had switched it for something like Tristan had that she also pulled out of her cell phone and plugged into an iTouch.

"You there? Sweet. Kay, so what can I do for you babe?" Hardison blinked and leaned in. "Damn kids. Got to be special and use your own little ear bud thing. Mine ain't good enough for you. I see how it is."

Tristan laughed as he typed furiously. Screens came and went so fast Nate was positive there was no way Tristan could actually be reading them. "Oh calm down Uncle. You didn't think we'd share everything with you did ya? This is still Tessa's run even if she's giving you a hand. Besides, my ear bud is way cooler than yours. Can yours send e-mails as well as allow two way communication? It's a lot faster, easier, and way cheaper than managing an untraceable phone line. Mine works with any phone so long as I can plug into it. Not only that, but if you try and hack into the line and don't have the access code all you get is either static or a recording of a Spanish soap opera."

Back in Morgan's office Con scolded him lightly. "Quit showing off and hurry up. You're getting slow Tristan, I'd hate to have to find a new geek." His offended scoff was that of a true actor. "Your words cut like a blade my dearest. But alas, my work is done. You will have to find some other way to get rid of me." If she had been there she would have hugged him but since she couldn't she blew a kiss over the line. Being the geek he was Tristan reached up to catch it, holding it close to his chest. "Thanks babe. I owe you one."

"Always. Now, are you going to clue me in past the obvious or am I going to have to rely on my own genius for the rest of the details?" Ignoring him Con smiled to herself and replaced the ear bud in its secret compartment, leaving Tristan to nothing but silence.

"Of course I have to figure it out on my own. What fun is knowing what on earth your girlfriend is thinking? No, it's so much better to have no clue and all you get to do is sit in your little chair and stare a screen tracking her movements like some stalker hoping you might be able to do something before she kills herself. Yes, that's fun. What was I thinking?"

Nate paused in what he was doing to look at the teen who was staring intently at his hijacked screen clicking furiously at his iTouch as he talked to himself. "I guess it's good to know it runs in the family." Nate mumbled to himself as he tried to get back to work.

I reached over and pulled out the cellphone of one of the guards from his pocket. Parker was busy casing the room and didn't notice me scan through his call history before deleting it. This was getting good.

_"So what can I do for you Babe?" Tristan asked cheerfully. "I need you to see which guards Morgans had hired to work for tonight, and then I want you to see how much he actually is in charge of handling as far as financials and other management stuff is concerned." Before I was even through speaking he had files e-mailed to my iTouch. I flipped through them as he chattered at Hardison and looked for what I had asked._

_According to these, Morgan's instructed his underlings to do most of his work for him. Two brothers seemed to be in charge over the majority of things. It had been one of the brothers that had instructed these guys to keep guard tonight, but that was in some of the more obscure and hard to find documents Tristan sent. By the looks of things this wasn't the average security shift…_

So Morgans is the type to delegate, and the type to trust his business to others. Interesting. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear I glanced back at Parker who was finishing up. I stashed my gear in my pockets, making sure I would know if should Parker decided to snoop. As soon as I brought my hand back up to my hair to readjust my hat Parker was at my elbow. "You through texting your boyfriend?" She looked on seriously. _It is so hard to tell when she's really joking…_"For now. But now we have to get out of here. Did you get everything for Boss-man?" She nodded but then brought her hand up to ear and winced. "Oww. Yes, and Hardison says he thought you were going solo on this one and didn't want our help." Rolling my eyes I passed her and began skulking down the hallway. "I am, but he's still Boss-man even if he is a prick. Besides, I helped get those, I get to be there for the debriefing of the files. Are you trying to say you could have handled all three of them by yourself while they had guns to your head? You're good Parker, but you're not Eliot. Thieving is not the same as mercenary work. Even if poor little Natey's pride is hurt because of the fact my 'below par abilities' that he has 'not seen any real proof of or need for' saved your butt." I was venting again, oh well. I stalked down the corridor until I came to the corner, there I paused with my back against the wall. Parker caught up quickly, mumbling to her headset.

I grabbed her hand and tugged on it to get her attention. "How long till they get here?" She blinked as she waited for a response. "Ten minutes. Why?" Glancing out past the corner at the door that led to the actual warehouse portion of the building a smile tugged at the corners of my previously frowning lips. "Tristan is always reading those books on psychological warfare. Let's try something from his book for once." Reaching into my other pocket I fingered my baby. The cold metallic feeling of it's little form making the grin come out full force as I looked back at Parker. "Time to play the game my way. You in?"

Parker glanced from my pocket to my smile back and forth before she began to catch on. "Duh." She stretched the single syllable so it rolled out into the darkness around us, filling the room with foreboding with the inevitable mischief that was at hand.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Here we are. Welcome to the base of operations of the Morgan's motor family." The sleek black Mercedes Benz pulled up in front of the large building, its quiet motor not at all easing the anxiousness both Eliot and Sophie were feeling at the moment. Morgans sat in front of them, his right hand man Jason sitting next to him. The girlfriend and Sean stayed at the party to supervise. The smile on Morgans as he eyed Eliot, no doubt fantasizing about how much he could get from the southerner before him wasn't helping ease the mood either. Sophie played with Eliot's fingers as she contemplated the similarities between the car ride and being driven to the firing squad.

The doors opened easily and everyone exited the car. Eliot leaned against the cars hood, trying to stall. He whistled low and long as he admired the colossal building. "Quite the place you have here. How long have you been running this business of yours anyways Morgans?" The proud man chuckled and crossed his arms as he admired his life's accomplishment.

"Call me Jonathan, please. This business, I spent the better part of my twenties building it from the ground up. My father was a wealthy man who believed in working for your wages. So he gave me a bank account and said 'make it or break it'. Lucky for me, I made it. We've been open for business for around four years now and are already one of the head companies in our field." He clapped Eliot on the back. "Come on inside. I'll show you that we're worth your while."

Nodding Eliot reached out to grab Sophie's hand, partly to reinforce the cute older couple with too much money to handle con, but also to keep him from screaming. What little information he could glean from Nate and the rest of the 'tech team' wasn't promising. He had always known his sister was a little strange, a cute kid, but still a weird one. Then you put her alone in a giant warehouse with Parker. You can see why he was reluctant to blindly step forward into what ever she'd managed to pull together this time.

Sophie squeezed his hand back, understanding that he was uneasy. For what reason he was uneasy she was unaware. True, she had no clue what was about to happen and the thought of Parker and Con cheerfully teaming up was one that sent chills down her spine. But nevertheless, she trusted them. She may not know Con, at least not past the surface. When you've been a grifter as long as Sophie had though, you learn a few tricks. One of which was how to judge a person's character. Con put on a façade, but who didn't? She was tough, like her big brother, she wasn't a little girl. At least, not physically. Sophie watched her as she interacted with everyone, with Tristan, with her work even. The way she spoke to them was like a child playing a part in a school play. She knew the lines, and knew how to move. But Sophie could also see her stumble.

When Nate insulted her abilities, she faltered. It was like she forgot her next line or the next step in a dance. She had gotten so used to acting out her role as teenage criminal with a reputation that wasn't something to laugh at; she forgot how to play the part of an understudy. _She's had gotten used to playing a lead, Nate came in and stole the show…_butnot only did Nate steal her thunder, but to her, he stole her brother.

Eliot. That was where the little girl came out. Just like in Con's little school production of life, the minute she was met with a change in the plot that her character wasn't prepared for she blanked and began adlibbing. She began trying to prove herself, to prove she could be the head actress. But she just wasn't. Sure she was good, but one girl alone can't be as good as their whole team had become. But the girl even had an answer to that.

Enter Tristan, best supporting actor. She went from little girl, stumbling through her charade of utter confidence, to leading lady and top dog on the local and possibly national criminal level. The duo was dangerous. But despite all of this, all of the acting, and all of the personal issues, Sophie liked her.

She could have given up, but she kept going. She was young but knew how to get what she wanted and needed. Con was extraordinary, despite her personality flaws. Sophie would allow those though, teenage years are awkward for anyone, especially those involved in a life of crime. Con hadn't proved untrustworthy thus far, and something in her personality was just like her brother. Loyal to a fault. So she knew she didn't have to worry for her own safety as she clicked her heels up the walk away from the sleek car.

Eliot stepped in time with her as they followed Morgans and Jason towards the front door. The silence of the night was uninterrupted except for the soft night time sounds of cars driving by and bugs in the air. The tension between the two of them went unnoticed by their targets, but it was suffocating to those who noticed it. Then the silence was broken.

Hardison's voice cut through the silences, softly speaking into their headsets. "Okay guys, stop walking when I say so." They tensed as waited. "3…..2.." Morgans turned around, smiling as he opened his mouth to make a remark, that is until- "..!"

Eliot reached out a hand to grab Morgans' to stop him when, ***KABOOOOOM***

The half of the building where the loading dock was located burst into flames. A brilliant flash lit up the night sky and ash rained down on them as they dove for cover.

"What the hell?" Morgans screamed, and inside Eliot's head he was thinking much the same thing.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Do you think I used a little too much accelerant with the bomb?" I tilted my head as I sat on the roof of a building several miles down the road with Parker as we waited for the all clear and a ride home. "I know it was a good bomb to begin with, but if we were going to make it look suspicious we probably should have started off with one inside instead." Parker shook her head. "No, I think the bright light will frighten him more." I nodded as I pulled out her iTouch. "You're probably right. Let's see how the bastard likes this." Parker raised her hand in to the air and looked at me expectantly.

Sighing I handed over the device. "Fine, you can do this one." She squealed, "Yea!" Placing my favorite detonating device into her excited hands she flipped it over and stared out into the distance. "Boom."

*Click*

***KABOOOOOOOOM***

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**(A/N): There you have it folks! Your next chapter. I am so sorry for being so late, but I hope you'll forgive me. I tried to make this an interesting chapter so it took me longer than I would have liked. Anyways, if anyone out there still reads this, you rock. If anyone new decided to come tag along, then welcome aboard! As always your input is greatly appreciated! I love to hear what you all have to think even if it's nothing but a 'good girl' or a 'you need help'. I love/need all! ; ) **

**Lots of Love From Me to You,**

**-Rat**


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